Letters: The Year with the Snake
by TwilightRamblings
Summary: Sequel to Letters: Year with the Stone. Harry, Dudley and the rest of the gang return to Hogwarts for their second year but the dangers this year are both more dangerous and more sinister than the last. WARNING: Non-graphic sexual abuse and mentions of child abuse/neglect.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! It starts again :) **

**Back at work and still studying so I'm not writing as much as I'd like but I'm looking at getting a chapter done every fortnight or so. **

**Writing the horse scenes in this story are about to get really hard as the 16hh, bay with a white stripe thoroughbred named Mickey who taught me to love horse-riding again is going to be put down this month - I can't even find out the real date because it'll be too sad.**** That said, I understand that not everyone loves horses as much as I do and I'll try and keep the scenes as enjoyable as possible, no matter your preference. **

**As always, the usual warning applies - this story does contain abuse and Harry's not out of the woods yet. It _may_ contain self-harm and it _will _contain references to eating disorders and bullying. Again as always, please, please, please seek help if you are suffering from any of these things or if you know someone suffering from these. **

**Not blond and since I'm Australian, not British, so please don't sue (recently found out that J. herself said that she likes it when we write fanfiction so I don't think I have much to worry about :) ). Also, don't like - _don't read_. I appreciate constructive criticisms but flames serve no purpose and I tend to ignore them anyway :)****  
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**Chapter One**

"They have to what?" Harry cried.

"Move in," Professor Dumbledore replied calmly. Harry looked desperately at Severus, discouraged at his hopeless expression. "For two weeks. Severus has assured me that it could be done so that you barely had any interaction with each other. You'll won't even notice they're here."

Harry raised a doubtful eyebrow. "No offence Professor, but somehow I doubt that I'm just not going to notice the Dursley's, here. This is my home!" Harry didn't mean to sound like a brat but he couldn't believe that after all this time, he was still going to have to live with the Dursley's. "And just because I'm ignoring them, doesn't mean they aren't going to pay attention to me. Dudley's going to be even worse living here. And how are you getting this past Aunt Petunia?"

"Harry..." Severus' tone was a warning but Harry couldn't help it. He really couldn't see Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon living somewhere that a Magical person lived, at least not willingly.

"They have been told that it is for their own protection. They will arrive tomorrow. In fact, for the two weeks, Dudley will be in Severus' custody - if they prove that they are willing to change their habits for the better than Dudley will go home with them at the end of the two weeks, otherwise he will be going into foster care with a Magical family." Harry read between the lines and heard the hidden message - they'd be on their best behaviour because they'd want to be able to go home together.

"Alright, but I take orders from Severus only. And I'm allowed to hex Dudley if he tries anything," Harry proposed reluctantly.

"You are not. I agree with the fact that all required discipline and/or rules will come from me but I will treat fighting the same as I do at Hogwarts," Severus said firmly. "You will make every effort to be civil, as will Dudley."

"There, see, I thought you'd agree, Harry. Perhaps living together will allow you to grow closer to your relatives." Harry raised a doubtful eyebrow until Professor Dumbledore's gentle smile faded. "Or perhaps not."

"Still the people who abused me for ten years, sir. Not going to forget that anytime soon," Harry commented. "Can I go unpack now? Since I'm going to be hiding in my room for the next two weeks." Harry could tell from Severus' harsh look that he sounded out of character but in reality, Harry just wanted to get upstairs and lie down so the dizziness would go away.

"Go. And since your manners require some improvement, do stay up there until you are in a better mood, Harry. I understand that leaving your friends is hard but you still have no good reason to be rude." Harry knew from the tone that Severus would want to talk about this later. He stood, said a quiet goodbye to the Headmaster and walked out of the room.

Severus POV

"Honestly Severus, I think you're a bit harsh on the boy. His anger is understandable. Not to mention, he isn't aware what stalled the ceremony, is he? He doesn't know that you and Narcissa have this crazy plan to remove the Dark Mark." Severus raised his eyebrows at Dumbledore's scolding, ignoring the jab at his project.

"And what would you prefer? That I let the boy get away with talking to adults however he prefers just because he is upset. He must learn to hold his temper, Headmaster. And no, he hasn't been informed of that. I was going to tell him tonight but since we will all be settling in, I thought it best to leave it for later. Perhaps on a ride while we escape from the Dursleys for an afternoon." Severus smiled tiredly at Dumbledore, knowing that he would see the humour.

"If they become too much, or they hurt Harry in any way, we will find another way, Severus. This is the easiest way for now but I can find another option. And, I must admit, I thought in the meantime that you might like being able to lord it over the Dursleys and show them how their son should behave. Surely that is at least one bonus?"

"Just finished teaching a school full of students and on my only holiday for the year. Why on Earth would you think I'd want a student over the holidays as well?" Severus scowled. "Harry might be enough for me if he is as skilled at getting in trouble here as he is at Hogwarts."

Dumbledore chuckled. "I think you'll find that it will be much more mundane types of trouble that he gets in to. No three headed dogs or murderous teachers. Just staying out too late, not doing his homework and playing with friends."

"Even those will be too much. I usually have quiet holidays," Severus smirked.

"It's only for two weeks, my boy. Then they will leave and you will have a wonderful holiday with Harry. Who knows, this may just give Harry the confidence he needs to start going to therapy."

"Or the push off the deep end," Severus muttered, ignoring the twinkle in Dumbledore's eye. "Very well, when are they arriving?"

"Well, you see, I really didn't want you or Harry to go unprotected for a single day," Dumbledore paused and Severus scowled in realization. "So they are coming tonight." Dumbledore looked at his watch. "Right now, in fact."

True to Dumbledore's word, Severus' Floo flared and two figures stepped out. Severus knew that it could only be Minerva dragging that fat oaf through the Floo, as apart from Lupin, she was the only one who knew the password. "Let me go! You can't just pull a person into flames, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking, Mr Dursley, that I explained the process of travelling by Floo and believed that you would realize that the flames would not hurt you." Minerva's tone was scathing and Severus could see that she was fed up. "Now, I'll leave you to Severus and Albus while I go fetch your wife and son."

Minerva didn't even wait, instead stepping back through the fire. Severus looked blankly at Vernon Dursley as the big man spluttered in rage. "You can either make yourself comfortable, Mr Dursley, or you can continue to stand there venting your anger." Severus pointed to one of the lounge room chairs, raising an eyebrow expectantly. Dursley's mouth moved soundlessly for a moment before he sat with a dumb expression. Severus smirked and turned back to the fire.

It flared again and Dudley stumbled out. He turned to look back at the fire before shrugging and stepping forward. He timed it just right as Minerva came through the Floo, this time towing a startled and impressed looking Petunia Dursley. She quickly schooled her expression back to pinched and scowled as she looked around. Through the pained expression, she seemed impressed.

"Please sit," Severus said when they didn't. Dudley moved to quickly sit down, trained from being under Severus' ire all year. Petunia looked amazed at Dudley's compliance and then sat herself. "If you are to stay here, then you will do as I ask. You are here for your protection, however, I need to protect my son. Therefore, you will be under restrictions. I will be magically locking your doors at night, warding you in after ten o'clock. You will take your meals with Harry and I, at 8am, 12pm and 6pm. You will, at all times, be civil. You will not even look sideways at Harry and you will not say anything resembling a command. He will not do any chores other than what I give him and you are not to ask him to do anything. Dudley will also be under my custody for the next two weeks. Harry and Dudley will follow the same rules and have the same responsibilities. They will do their homework for the same length of time and be held to the same standards of behaviour. Any hostility between the boys will be treated with fairness and equal consequences. You are not responsible for their discipline. If you have issue with how they are behaving, you will come to me. The door to your right is out of bounds – that is my Potions lab and is not safe for Muggles. Approaching the door will alert me. Harry's and my room is out of bounds to you all. If you need to leave at any time, myself or Minerva will escort you off my property and stay with you while you go about your business. All groceries and other material needs will be provided – my House Elves will cook meals and clean. They will not tidy, which is the responsibility of the person who made the mess. If I feel either of the boys are lacking in this, I will mention it to them. You are guests in my house and you will not treat either child in this house as though you have custody of them. At the end of two weeks, I will decide whether or not Dudley will return to your custody. Therefore, it is in your best interests to encourage Dudley to follow the rules." Severus stood after this last sentence. "I will show you to your rooms. Your belongings will be placed in them momentarily."

Severus walked quickly out the living room, not giving them time to comment. He heard them rise and follow after him so he started walking up the stairs. He walked to Draco's room and opened the door. "This will be Dudley's room while he is here." Dudley frowned as he looked around the simple room but Severus raised an eyebrow and he didn't comment. "Your room is this one across the hall. The bathroom is the room in the middle on that wall. Harry's room, which you have no reason to be near, is the one at the end on the right. Mine is on the left. Please go to your rooms now and settle in. Dinner will be at six. If you miss it, you don't eat."

Severus walked towards Harry's room without listening to any of their comments. He couldn't hear anything coming from inside so he knocked assertively on the door. He waited a moment and when Harry didn't answer, knocked again. "Harry?"

There was still no answer so Severus opened the door, peering around it. Harry was curled up on his bed, arm thrown over his head, sleeping. Since Harry hadn't complained about being tired, Severus crept forward to place the back of his hand against Harry's forehead. He wasn't warm so Severus stepped away. It was possible that Harry's bad mood was due to tiredness from the last few days. Poppy had cleared him but she'd cautioned Harry not to over-exert himself.

"Did you forget us, Severus?" Minerva asked, not realizing that Harry was asleep.

"Shh, Harry's asleep," Severus said as he turned to her. He walked over to the door, pulling it closed as he passed through it. "I didn't forget you but I knew that you would be able to entertain yourselves for a few minutes."

Minerva scowled at his scathing tone but turned her attention to Harry's closed door. "Is he alright?"

"He was irritable earlier and I thought it was just anxiety from leaving Hogwarts and all his friends but that wouldn't make him want to sleep. He was fine before we left the station, even after the long train ride." Severus thought back to this morning, when he had escorted the students down to the station. Harry had been riding in the carriages with Neville, Teddy and Draco, chatting happily. Once they reached the station, Hagrid had given Harry the photo album he'd been working on all year – Severus had seen it and knew that it held photos of Harry's parents and of Harry and Severus together. Harry's gratitude was obvious, even from where Severus was standing. Severus had walked closer, wanting to overhear.

"It feels weird to be going home, doesn't it?" Severus heard Neville ask.

"That's not exactly what feels weird, Neville," Harry said quietly with a small smile.

Severus shook his head to rid himself of the memory, knowing that Harry was as new to this as he was. He thought forward to the moments at Kings Cross, watching Harry walk through the platform entrance with his friends. They were laughing, Teddy shoving at Harry playfully. Harry paused as he spotted the Dursleys and Severus scowled at the way in which they greeted their son. Teddy pulled Harry away and pointed to where Severus was standing not far from Mrs Nott and Narcissa Malfoy. Neville suddenly grabbed Harry's arm and pointed off in another direction. Hermione was standing there with someone who could only be her mother, smiling at the boys. They looked towards their parents and then toward their friend and beckoned Hermione over eagerly. The other parents moved toward their children and Severus saw Harry's head swing round to Severus' location, anxiety in his body language. Severus raised his eyebrow and stepped forward, falling into step with Narcissa.

"Hermione!" Harry moved his attention. "You're okay!"

Hermione stepped forward and hugged Harry. "Of course I'm okay."

"Harry worries," Teddy said as he stepped forward with a laugh.

"Really? I never noticed," Hermione shot back. Over their heads, the parents were looking at each other knowingly.

"Shut up," Harry groused good naturally. Even though he was talking happily to his friends, Harry had taken a step backward until he was standing within reach of Severus. Severus reached forward, resting his hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry's glance back was appreciative but he kept talking to his friends.

"He was probably pushing it aside that so that he could have a pleasant goodbye. He won't be seeing them for a little while whereas he knows he'll be able to make it up to you," Minerva's comment brought Severus out of the memories.

"That's not it. I'll keep an eye on him tonight, make sure he isn't relapsing," Severus said as he led the way downstairs. From the sight of his empty lounge room, Severus guessed that the Headmaster had already left.

"And pray tell why that is not it?" Minerva drawled.

"He really seemed out of sorts. If it was like that at the station, I don't think he would have been able to hide it. It must have come on after that," Severus explained.

"How did you get here from the station?" Minerva asked and Severus could see that she was thinking.

"We Apparated."

"That might explain it," Minerva said. At Severus' raised eyebrow, she continued, "Magical transportation can sap the magic of the people being transported as well as yours. In fact, Apparation requires it – it's why Muggles find it so much more horrendous. With Harry's magical core so low…"

"It's exhausted him again. No wonder he was cranky." Severus walked over to the stove and started the element under the kettle. With the Dursleys in the house, Severus was glad that he had decided to make his kitchen Muggle friendly. Merlin knows he wouldn't want to be at their beck and call for a mere cup of tea. He went through the motions of making the cups of tea, handing Minerva her cup.

"Have you given any thoughts to how they got out of your quarters after you warded it so well, Severus?" Minerva had mentioned the anomaly while Severus was recovering but they hadn't asked the children – the boys had all been too upset and Hermione had gone home almost immediately.

"Trixie. She convinced another House Elf to help her break through the wards – something she can only do within Hogwarts. She told Harry that he should go to the Hospital Wing and wait there but they didn't listen," Severus answered.

"You should have fired her," Minerva said in shock.

"And waste a good Elf? No. Trixie did what she thought was right and best for Harry – he was not coping with being kept away well. While I wish she had taken them to you or the infirmary, I cannot blame the Elf for where they went afterwards." Severus knew that most other House Elf owners wouldn't have even investigated beyond that and merely dismissed their Elf. But Trixie said that she knew that her Master was in trouble and she knew that the strongest motivation for Severus to survive was his son.

"Hmm, you are more forgiving than me," Minerva snorted. Severus sat at the table with her, sipping on his own cup.

"That Elf helped me through some hard times and kept me healthy when I didn't want to keep myself healthy. Firing her for this would not only be ungrateful but would likely entice her into some very inventive forms of revenge." Severus smirked as he said this, remembering the pranks played by Trixie on students who had hassled the House Elves.

"However true that is, have you at least disciplined her? Told her that she placed you and Harry in danger?" Minerva asked.

"I have. Hopefully she plans on listening to me next time. I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't though. She is spending some time with Poppy, helping her re-stock after this year. Hopefully that will give her some space to distance herself to the proper level." Severus leant back in his chair and turned his eyes to Petunia Dursley when she walked down the stairs. "Is there anything wrong with the rooms?"

"They're too small." Severus narrowed his eyes at Petunia's petulant tone.

"A real problem?" Severus clarified icily.

"Then no. Though I don't know what you expect our Dudley to do for two weeks without his computer and TV," Petunia grumbled.

"The same that he did at Hogwarts, where computers and televisions do not function. You are lucky that the electricity works here at all, as it is primarily a Magical property," Minerva replied scathingly.

Petunia studied them for a moment, trying to hide the shock on her face. "And what should I do? Or do you just expect us to languish around doing nothing?"

"My library is open to you and Minerva will return everyday to take your husband to work. That is, if that horrible accusation of fraud didn't make him lose his job," Severus drawled with a smirk.

"It didn't. It was very embarrassing but I'm going to assume you know that," Petunia said before stalking back up the stairs.

"Well this is going to be interesting," Severus muttered. Minerva laughed and he scowled good-naturedly at her. "Oh yes, laugh. Just wait until I'm sending Harry to you for babysitting because they can't be in the same house. Or maybe I'll just send you Dudley." Minerva's smile dropped and Severus laughed.

"You wouldn't," Minerva said in horror.

"Technically I only need Petunia here. And you could teach Dudley manners just as well as I could." Severus contemplated the idea for a moment while Minerva shook her head then gave up on the idea.

"You didn't have to have him for a whole school year, Severus. If you had, you wouldn't even joke about that," Minerva said as she lent back in her chair. "However, I'll quite happily look after Harry, should you need it. So will Lupin for that matter. I take it he didn't take you up on moving in?"

"I didn't offer. Just because I've adopted his best friend's son doesn't mean I have to start playing bosom buddies," Severus drawled.

Minerva snorted. "You don't have to like him to see that he's good for Harry. You know they've been writing all year. Plus, you and Harry are going to need time apart at some point – Lupin could act as a buffer between you."

"And what of his transformations? Are you actually suggesting I let him stay in the same house as my far too curious son? The only thing I'd be able to tell him would be not to go into Lupin's area and we know how well that works." Severus scowled at thought.

"Or you could tell Harry that Lupin is a werewolf, explain the dangers, and allow him to make an informed choice." Severus raised his eyebrow, about to respond. "And then tan his silly hide if he decides to go anywhere near Lupin during the full moon."

Severus smirked. "I don't think Harry would react very well to that; no matter how much I've wished the solution was that simple over the last couple of days."

"Have you decided on a punishment? Or do you believe that his experience was punishment enough?" Minerva asked.

"He's grounded, for two weeks. And since the Dursley's are here, I don't believe Harry would invite his friends over anyway. So the punishment is kind of redundant anyway." Severus lifted his empty cup and picked up Minerva's, making his way to the sink to place them inside.

"Have you talked to him about it? Apart from explaining the details?" Minerva asked.

"No. To be honest, I haven't even sorted out how I feel about it and I'm not entirely sure what he's going to bring up," Severus admitted with a sigh.

"Would you like me to talk to him? He's going to need to talk to you eventually but it's not going to help either of you if you can't talk about it honestly. And you need to talk about it to someone – Poppy knows the medical facts more than I ever could but I'll be around if you need me. Now, I'm going to wake Harry and have a chat with him. If he sleeps much longer he'll be too awake to sleep tonight." Minerva stood without giving Severus a chance to reply, though he knew she was right.

Harry POV

"Harry, wake up please." Harry groaned and covered his face. When a hand shook his shoulder he rolled over. "Now, laddie, don't make me pour water on you." Harry bolted upright as he realized that Professor McGonagall was the one talking.

"Professor!" McGonagall stepped back as Harry sat up, sliding to the edge of his bed.

"During the holidays, you may call me Minerva, if you wish." Professor – no, Minera – went to Harry's desk and picked up his chair, placing it next to Harry's bed. "I thought we might have a little chat about what happened down in the dungeons. Severus says that you haven't talked yet."

"Why isn't Severus asking me this?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes and trying to decide whether to play along or not.

"Because Severus went through something very big as well. Being resuscitated can leave someone's emotions a little bit confused. I thought it would be best if someone who wasn't personally involved offered to let you talk about it." Minerva waved her wand and a tea set appeared. "Milk and sugar, I assume?"

Harry blinked at the change in conversation and then nodded. "I've never had tea before."

"Then milk and sugar would be a good choice," Minerva said as she passed Harry his cup. Harry took a sip of the warm drink, surprised at the sweetness. He kept his eyes on Minerva, waiting for her to start the conversation. When she raised her eyebrow at him, he just set his jaw mulishly. He didn't want to talk about what happened in the dungeons. He didn't know what he thought about it anyway. He ignored the twinge that said Harry should tell Minerva about the nightmare he'd had last night, the one where Severus hadn't gotten up. "Harry, I'm not going to force you to talk about things you don't want to talk but I know what happens when you bottle things up. It's not healthy for you."

"Why did you send Hermione home early?" Harry asked.

"Because having someone's life hang in your hands can be very distressing, especially when you are only eleven years old. Hermione put herself under a lot of pressure when she decided to perform CPR. If someone doesn't survive CPR, the person who attempted to resuscitate them would experience feelings of guilt because they would feel like they should have done more. We didn't want Hermione developing these feelings and her parents are best equipped to help her find help if she needs or wants it," Minerva explained matter-of-factly. "Just like we're trying to help you by talking about how you felt when this was happening."

"Yeah well I don't want to talk," Harry said stubbornly, deliberately looking away from Minerva until she sighed.

"Harry, what's wrong? You haven't behaved like this since before Christmas. Is it the Dursleys coming to live with you?" Minerva slid forward in the chair, not touching Harry but inviting him to talk.

"No," Harry rubbed at the pain blossoming between his eyes. "No, I don't know." He shook his head and scrambled back on his bed. "I don't want to talk!"

Minerva's eyebrow raised at Harry's shout. "Okay, no need to shout. I can hear you." She sighed and run her hand over her face. "If you need to talk, Floo Remus or I. I'll try to come as quickly as I can."

Harry bit his lip, knowing he shouldn't have shouted at Minerva. She placed his chair back in place and walked out of the room. "I'm sorry," Harry whispered at the empty room. "I just don't know." The pain in his forehead was getting worse the longer he was awake and he turned away from the door and laid down again. A neigh from the horses outside reminded Harry that he hadn't gone to see Mickey yet. He sat up, nursing his head.

Sneaking across the landing so that he didn't run into the Dursleys, Harry crept down the stairs.

"I don't know whether he's going to talk, Minerva," Harry heard Severus' voice.

"Well he has to talk to someone. The boy has a migraine, and I bet it's from stress. After the year he's had, who would doubt it," Minerva replied.

"Did he say anything?" Severus asked as Harry crept toward the back door, constantly checking that Severus wasn't sitting in the right place to see him.

"That he didn't want to talk – he said 'I don't know'," Minerva said.

"That's standard Harry talk for he's overwhelmed. He probably hasn't thought it all out and wants the space to do so first. I'll try to convince him to write Lupin in the next couple of days," Severus said with a sigh. Harry paused as he opened the back door, upset at hearing such a disappointed tone in his Dad's voice, but shook his head and kept going. Once he was out of the house, he picked up his pace and trotted towards the stable. The door was already partly open and Harry slipped inside without trouble.

"Hey Mickey," Harry whispered as he stepped up to the stall door. He peered into the half lit stall, picking out Mickey's white markings against the dark. Mickey nickered quietly and came up to the stall door. "Hey boy, sorry I don't have any carrots." Mickey lipped at his sleeve, following it up towards his chest. Once he reached Harry's chest, he butted him. "Hey!"

"Master's pony needs brushing, Master Harry," Poppin said as he appeared behind Harry. "If Master is wanting to do it."

"Thanks, Poppin. I'll do that." Harry took the pro-offered grooming kit and moved into Mickey's stall. Mickey moved backward to let him come in and Harry realized that he'd forgotten the lead rope and halter.

"Master can tie Master's pony in there if he wishes. The ropes in his stall will tie to his halter." Poppin held out the halter as Harry glanced around.

"Oh. Severus didn't tell me that." Harry reached for the halter and ignored Mickey's ear flick toward it.

"Master was working his pony that day. Needed him out of the stall," Poppin answered.

"That makes sense. Are you going to be here long, Poppin?" Harry stood with the halter at his side, waiting for Mickey to come back over.

"No Master Harry. Poppin is done with Master's horse and has dinner to prepare," Poppin answered.

"Oh, well avoid the Dursley's then. They won't much understand what you are." Poppin tilted his head at Harry like he was confused and Harry shrugged. "They're Muggles."

Poppin nodded sharply and Apparated out of the stable. Harry turned around and slipped his hands around Mickey's neck, stopping him from moving away. He used his other arm to slip the halter over Mickey's nose and did it up, cursing his clumsiness. Once that was done, he used the halter to move Mickey over to the tie up line on the right side of his stall. Once that was done up, he went and got the over one, stretching to catch Mickey's halter so that he could bring him over and clip the other line on. Mickey grumbled and Harry paused, wondering if he was doing something wrong. He thought back to the books on horses Hermione had helped him find in the library. Mickey's ears were forward and his tail wasn't switching from side to side, so Harry thought that it might have been in good humor. He grabbed a brush out of the kit and started rubbing Mickey down with it. The pony bobbed his head and licked his lips, giving Harry the idea that he was happy.

"I shouldn't have yelled at Minerva like that. She was only trying to help, right, Mick?" The pony didn't give an answer, which Harry didn't expect. "I just don't know what to think. It all happened so fast and yet so slow. And it all worked out okay in the end. Severus wasn't even asleep for more than a couple of minutes. And Hermione knew what to do. So big deal right?"

Mickey snorted and bobbed his head, making Harry laugh. "Maybe you do understand me." Harry sighed. "Except, I was really scared, Mickey. That whole time. He was so still and pale and, and Dad's always in control. He's never the one getting beat up or picked on. And if we hadn't gone down there, he would have been fine. He would have got his wand back, if we hadn't distracted him." Harry looked around before voicing his traitorous thoughts, "But what if he hadn't, Mickey? What if he'd died?" Harry whispered the last word, hating to even think it. Mickey turned his head, and Harry hugged him. "What would have happened to me?" Harry ignored the tears that were stinging his eyes, brushing at his eyes roughly. Harry slid to the ground, leaning against Mickey's legs. Mickey put his head down into Harry's lap and Harry stroked his nose.

Harry sat like that until he heard the barn door slide. He picked up his brush and stood, moving back to Mickey's side. He kept moving the brush when he felt someone come up to the door of Mickey's stall.

"Don't be too gentle, Harry, a little bit of pressure helps get the dirt out of his coat," Severus said in a quiet voice. Harry nodded and increased his pressure on the stroke, not turning around so that Severus couldn't see the tear tracks. Harry heard a sigh and winced, knowing that Severus wouldn't appreciate the rudeness. Severus undid the latch on the door and stepped inside, picking up a brush from the kit. "Minerva left. She said to say goodbye. And that she forgives you for yelling," Severus said. Harry could hear the smile in his voice so he lifted his head slightly, turning towards Severus.

Harry knew that Severus had spotted the state of his eyes when Severus placed two fingers under his chin and tilted it up. Severus raised his eyebrow, and then sighed and pulled Harry into a hug. Harry returned the hug, sniffing a little. "Sorry for being rude."

"Minerva said that she thought you had a migraine. Is she correct?" Severus asked while looking down at Harry.

"I have a really bad headache," Harry admitted. Severus withdrew his wand from his sleeve and flicked it into the air towards the house. A few seconds later, he plucked a vial from the air.

"Take this," Severus said as he held it out. Harry downed the potion and felt his headache instantly recede.

"Thanks," Harry answered. He turned back to Mickey, pretending that he'd seen a spot he'd missed.

"Do you want to talk about it or are you going to avoid it with me as well?" Severus asked. Harry blushed and shook his head. "You don't want to talk about it, or you're going to avoid it?"

"I'm not going to avoid it. I'm sorry Dad. I just didn't know what to say. I don't know what to think," Harry complained.

"Nothing that you're thinking is wrong or bad, Harry. It is okay if you think that what you're thinking is selfish or is absolutely out-of-line. Even if you think it's completely unrelated to what happened in the dungeons." Severus was using his quiet voice again, which Harry knew meant that he was trying to give Harry the chance to talk.

"What happens to me if you die?" Harry barely managed to say the last word but he knew that Severus heard him.

Harry wasn't looking at Severus so he was surprised when Severus hugged him around the shoulders and bent down so they were at eye level. "My will has been changed to reflect our relationship and, given your age, I thought that your opinion should matter. Therefore, it states that you can choose between Narcissa, Lupin or Minerva, if there ever comes a time when I can't be here for you. My lawyer is in charge of looking after you until you make that decision. I have also asked Minerva, Lupin and Narcissa to alter their wills, so that if you go to them and they don't get a chance to change it and, Merlin forbid, something happens to them, you'll stay within that circle. And I don't think there will ever be a situation where you can't go to one of them but if that happens, we've all written that you can't ever go back to the Dursleys. But nothing is going to happen to me, Harry. Professor Dumbledore and the teachers at school are all working to make it even safer next year and Narcissa and I are working on something that will make it much easier to stay out of harm's way if Voldemort comes back."

Harry looked at Severus curiously and was about to ask his question when Severus continued. "Narcissa came to me to know if I had found a way to remove the Dark Mark, which is the brand that Lord Voldemort gave all his followers when they vowed loyalty to him. It allows him to summon us and to cause us pain. I'm not going to show it to you, but it is placed on the inside of the left arm, near the elbow." Severus indicated the spot through his sleeve. "Previously, I had thought it impossible but Narcissa has done a lot of research and we think that together, we may have found a way. If we can remove it, we take away Lord Voldemort's ability to track us, which he would most certainly used if he realized that we had turned traitor. Therefore, we could safely go into hiding and not have to fear him finding us through it. I have been so focused on that, for many reasons, that I haven't seen to arranging the Blood adoption, hence the Dursleys staying with us. I am sorry for that; I never wanted you to have to share quarters with them ever again." Severus looked sad and worried as he spoke, but there was a kind of urgency in his speech that gave Harry the impression that removing the Dark Mark was something Severus wanted dearly.

"That's okay, Dad. It won't be so bad, really," Harry said. Severus raised his eyebrow skeptically and Harry shrugged. "Okay, so I hate it and I wish it didn't have to happen but-" Harry paused. "-You're here. And I know that if they do anything bad, you'll protect me. And at least we get to stay here instead of Privet Drive. It's all open and Mickey's here and I have my own room that isn't Dudley's second bedroom and Trixie." Harry paused again, trying to think of the best way to say what he was thinking. "It's home."

Severus smiled softly. "It is. And I will always do my best to protect you, Harry. I am putting off starting my holiday brewing until the Dursley's have left, so I will always be close by to help you. And if you think of anything else you want to talk about in regards to the night in the dungeons, you can come to me, any time of night or day." Severus straightened up and squeezed Harry's shoulder. "Now, I think Mick deserves a proper grooming for putting up with us just standing here, don't you think?"

Harry smiled at the change of mood and nodded. "Yeah, I don't think I was doing a very good job before."

"Horses understand pain, Harry. Most animals do. I'm sure, on some level, Mick knows that you really came out here to talk." Severus picked up the brush that lay abandoned on the ground and began brushing. Harry didn't answer, instead moving to Mickey's other side to brush there.

They worked in silence for a while, Severus teaching Harry each step of grooming. Mickey quietly stood, even when Harry accidentally pulled him off balance as he lifted his foot. Harry stepped back, expecting Mickey to pin his ears and nip, but the pony just shifted his feet and lifted his foot back up expectantly. Harry glanced at Severus to see him watching with a smile and frowned in confusion.

"He won't bite you, Harry. Strider would have but Mickey knows you're just learning." Severus patted Mickey on the shoulder and then walked to the stall door. "I'm going to go check on dinner. Once you're done with his feet, let him free and come up to the house." Harry nodded and went back to tending to Mickey's hoof. Harry quietly finished his task and unclipped the leads and hung them back up. Mickey rubbed his face up and down Harry's back and Harry turned around with a "Hey!". Mickey just snorted and stuck his nose in Harry's chest, so Harry took his halter off.

"Thanks for listening, Mickey." Harry slipped out of the stall, being careful to latch the door behind him. He dropped the halter onto the hook outside Mickey's stall and walked out of the quiet building, noticing that the sun was well on its way to set. He could see the Dursleys in the kitchen from the front of the barn and tried desperately to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach as he realized that he would have to face them for dinner. He walked slowly up the hill to the house, pausing before pulling the door open. He could hear Uncle Vernon and Dudley loudly discussing something at the kitchen table and Severus talking quietly, he assumed to Poppin. Knowing that Severus was in there gave him the courage to open the door and walk through, nervously wiping his hands on his jeans.

"Use the sink in the laundry to wash your hands, Harry, and then I'll dish up," Severus said, noticing him immediately. Harry nodded, ducking his head as he saw Dudley glare at him.

Severus POV

Severus noticed Dudley's glare at Harry and frowned, wondering what could have set the slightly older boy off already. Since they had each made a point of ignoring each other for the last weeks of term, Severus has assumed they would merely act as though the other wasn't there. Instead, Dudley seemed emboldened by his parent's presence.

"What's for dinner?" Dudley turned to Severus and asked bluntly. Severus raised his eyebrow and sneered warningly, making Dudley pale slightly. "I mean, what's for dinner, sir?"

"Slightly better, Dursley. The polite way to phrase that question would be, 'may I ask what we are having for dinner, sir?'. We are having lasagna and salad, which Poppin kindly prepared for us. After dinner, I believe there is fruit salad for desert." Severus noted Harry's return and nodded towards the table to ask him to sit. The Dursleys were already seated, Vernon at one end and Petunia and Dudley on one side. Harry quickly took a seat on the opposite side while Severus sat in his usual place at the head of the table. With a flick of his wand, the plates that Poppin had dished out and placed under a Warming charm floated over to the table and in front of each person. Severus noted the dismay on Vernon and Dudley's faces and smirked internally. Portion control was something Poppy had asked him to instill in Dudley during his stay here and it looked as though Vernon would benefit from it just as much as his son.

Everybody stayed quiet as they started eating. Severus sneered slightly in disgust at Vernon and Dudley's table manners, glad that Harry was still in the habit of watching him before acting. As it was, he caught Harry casting glances at him every now and then and could tell it wasn't just checking whether his table manners were appropriate. "Did you close the barn door when you came up, Harry?" Severus asked casually, deliberately dropping his tone so Harry wouldn't react overly much.

"Um, no, I didn't know whether I should," Harry replied, biting his lip. Severus stoically ignored the gleam in Vernon's eye as he thought Harry would get in trouble.

"I didn't expect you to. I'll need to ward the barn after dinner anyway so I can do it then. I was thinking that we could start your riding lessons tomorrow afternoon? I have correspondence I have to answer in the morning and you have assignments you should be getting a start on. In fact, so do you, Mr Dursley." Severus looked pointedly at Dudley, raising his eyebrow as the boy lifted his chin.

"We've got all holidays. Why would I start them now?" Dudley said, mouth full of food.

"While your parents may enjoy the half-masticated cow rolling around in your wide-open trap, I do not; chew, swallow, then speak. You will start them now so that you have time to do them properly instead of rushing them in your final week. You should also consider that doing them while in the same house as one of your teachers may work to your benefit as I will be able to help you improve the quality of your assignments and possibly prevent you from starting the year on the poor footing you have finished this one on. Rest assured, Mr Dursley, that while we dislike to expel students for academic reasons, it has and can be done. You would be wise to improve your work ethic and grades if you wish to stay in school," Severus scolded the scowling boy.

"Our Dudders has always had trouble at school, it's not his fault if he fell behind. He's had a very hard year, what with your lot saying that he can't come home at the end of the year," Vernon protested angrily. His glare in Harry's direction said that he was also blaming Harry.

"Dudley has had every chance to approach his Head of House about any concerns or troubles he has had. Hufflepuff has an autistic child among their ranks, as well as a few children with ADHD, who manage to achieve sufficient grades. Perhaps more effort on Dudley's behalf would uncover a talent in at least one of his subjects?" Severus drawled with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't like the stupid subjects at school. And all the teachers like precious Potter over me anyway," Dudley protested, though Severus noticed that he had at least rid himself of his mouthful first.

"You are treading on very thin ice already, Dudley. Do not make me remind you about being civil to your cousin again. And your teachers, myself included, respect effort and enthusiasm. Since you show neither for any of your subjects, of course they appear to prefer Harry's work ethic and curiosity in their subjects more." Severus paused, aware that the conversation was going in a direction he did not desire. "Back to my original point, you are expected, while in this house, to follow my rules. And in this house, I require at least an hour of time spent on your assignments each day until their completion to my satisfaction. After this time, I expect that that hour be spent doing something quiet and/or creative. It creates an active mind and allows you to find solutions to boredom and the laziness that is usually attached to the summer holidays."

Dudley looked mutinous but didn't retort again. His parents looked as though they could not come up with a suitable retort and stayed silent as well.

"May I be excused?" Harry asked in the quiet that followed. Severus cast an eye over his plate, noting that he hadn't eaten much.

"You may be excused to the bathroom but you haven't eaten enough, Harry. I would prefer that you returned and finished at least half of what is left," Severus replied quietly, taking note of Harry's tense posture.

"Thank you." Harry rose and moved quickly up the stairs to the second story, no doubt to take himself to the bathroom. Severus watched him go and then returned to his meal, enjoying the Dursley's silence for a minute or two.

"Why's he get to go; that's bad manners, right?" Dudley pointed out with a return of his former charm.

"Harry was recently injured and is still recovering. Since he could be asking to be excused due to nausea, I see no point in forcing him to remain. However, since your appetite is at it's usual level, you are required to remain until the meal is finished." Severus said this casually, not wanting either of the Dursley males to think that Harry was weak in any way. Dudley harrumphed but went back to the meager remains of his dinner. When he looked up again, Severus could see that both the elder Dursley and Dudley had finished.

"If you could place your empty plates on the sink, Poppin will wash them later. Starting tomorrow, Dudley and Harry will share the responsibility of washing the dishes. If one washes, the other will dry, clear?" Severus looked at Dudley and was happy when he agreed, even if his tone was sullen.

Vernon and Dudley placed their plates on the sink and then stood silently, looking around. "What are we meant to do now? Can't very well go back to hiding in our rooms, can we?" Vernon asked roughly.

"There are board games in the cupboard in the library or, after dinner only, you will find a television and a supply of Muggle videos in the tall cupboard in the living room." Severus smirked at their shocked looks. "I don't care what you do, Dursley, but Dudley and Harry are restricted to two hours of electric entertainment a day, unless they are using them for something constructive. Therefore, I highly recommend board games as a way of bonding with your son over the television." Severus could see that his words were falling on deaf ears, so he turned back to his dinner as Vernon and Dudley waddled over to the cupboard he had indicated. Severus smirked as they turned it on and found out that the volume was limited to a certain level. Once Severus had finished his own meal, he took both Petunia's and his plates to the counter and then used his wand to summon a Nutrient Potion. He turned to Petunia, wondering what she would choose to do with herself for the night. "There are many Muggle and Magical books in my library. Those that are dangerous are on shelves that you cannot reach easily. There may be something that interests you in there." She looked at him in surprise, shock taking away her nasty expression for a moment. Petunia's sudden shriek of surprise announced Poppin's presence.

"Master, sorry for interrupting but young Master Harry is in distress, sir. His breathing is very fast and he is very pale. He is asking Poppin to fetch Master for him." Severus stood at once, drawing his wand and summoning a Stomach Calming Draught, Calming Potion and a Breathe-Easy potion to himself, unsure of what Harry would need. He took the stairs two at a time and crossed to the bathroom door, knocking once before entering. Harry was curled on the floor with his head on the rim of the bathtub, breathing shallowly and fast, just as Poppin had described. Severus knelt down on the floor next to him, laying a hand on his knee to announce his presence.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Harry shook his head, opening wide and tear-filled eyes and staring at Severus with a pleading look. "Alright, Harry, easy. Remember your breathing; in and out, in and out," Severus directed. Harry slowed, gulping slightly as he tried to match Severus' direction. Severus watched him closely as he kept up the directing litany, knowing that if it was an allergic reaction or an asthma attack, Harry wouldn't be able to return to a normal breathing pattern. After about a minute, Harry's breathing was slowing and becoming deeper, returning to normal. He was still pale and pinched, so Severus moved to sit next to him and put an arm around his shoulders.

"That was another panic attack. A small one, but it's still worrying. Would you like a Calming Potion?" Severus asked. Harry shook his head quickly. "In that case, I would suggest at least the Stomach Calming Draught." Harry's pleading look came back and Severus raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "You can't skip meals, Harry. You've already said that you had a migraine earlier and your tiredness tells me that you aren't over what happened in the dungeons yet. Rest will help, but your body needs the real nutrients that come in food. A potion will only help so much and you will be weak for so much longer."

"Can I eat up here?" Severus frowned, not wanting to go against his own rules on the first night but knowing that Harry would be much more likely to eat upstairs.

"No." Harry turned his head away in disappointment. "Only because I don't think hiding in your room is going to make you feel any better about the Dursley's being here. I will ask them to take their dessert in the living room, which will leave you and I alone at the kitchen table, but that is the best I can do, Harry." Harry crinkled his nose slightly but nodded.

"Okay." Severus handed Harry the potion and then stood while he drank it. Once Harry had downed the entire contents of the vial, he held out a hand and helped Harry to his feet.

"One more thing – next time you have a panic attack, or feel one coming on, you are to give me a sign, Harry. I can't know these things without being told all the time and panic attacks can become dangerous. At the least, I don't want you to be suffering alone while I am here and I can help." At Harry's muffled acquiescence, Severus tilted his chin up so that he was looking Severus in the eye. "I can not help you if you do not tell me you need help. There is no reason for you to have to deal with this on your own. I need to know how much this is affecting you before I can judge whether or not to kick them out. So please don't shut me out." Harry's eyes misted slightly and Severus decided to leave it at that. He turned to walk out of the bathroom and looked back when Harry didn't make a move to follow.

"I really have to eat down there?" Harry asked with a grimace.

"Yes, you do, Harry," Severus said. Harry frowned and looked towards his room. "Harry," Severus said warningly.

"Okay, I'm coming," Harry groaned. Severus nodded and turned back to the stairs, not checking whether Harry was walking with him or not. He could hear Harry's footsteps on the stairs behind him and he pointed at the table, waiting until Harry went back to his plate before glancing into the next rooms to check on the Dursley's. They were all sitting in front of the television, though Petunia was reading a book on her lap. Severus used his wand to summon his latest book and sat down at the kitchen table with Harry to read. Harry ate quietly for a moment before he started pushing the food around his plate without really eating it.

"If you won't eat, then it's time for a Potion. It will do, though I really wish you would eat properly," Severus said. "If you're ready to sleep then you should head upstairs and go to bed." Harry nodded and got up, walking up the stairs. Severus followed him, moving to Harry's as yet unpacked trunk when he got to the room. Severus held out the Potion, shaking it to get Harry to take it. Harry shook his head stubbornly. "Don't complain. If you'd eaten all of your dinner, I would merely be placing your covers over you and leaving you for the rest of the night. It was your choice," Severus said matter-of-factly, while pulling out a pair of pyjamas. He held them up, looking to Harry. When Harry nodded, he tossed them over and then turned his back as he heard Harry half-climb, half-fall out of bed.

"I'm good," Harry said a few moments later. Severus flicked his wand, sending Harry's clothes to the hamper. Harry had sat back on his bed and Severus gestured that he should sit back fully before pulling the covers over Harry's legs.

"Potion, then you can sleep. It's a Nutrient one, it won't taste bad." Severus said as he held it out. Harry took it, eyeing it doubtfully, before taking an experimental sip. He looked pleasantly surprised and then took a larger mouthful. "All of it would be good, though it will have the same effect as actually eating a whole meal, so stop when you feel full." Harry nodded, taking another sip.

"How come I'm still so tired?" Harry asked.

"The apparition from the station toward was possibly too much too soon. You will be fine tomorrow after a decent night's sleep. And I meant what I said about starting your lessons on Mickey tomorrow. He needs it and you could do with the fresh air." Severus said, taking the vial when Harry proffered it as Severus finished talking. Severus raised an eyebrow at what was left but Harry just shook his head.

"I'm full," he said in a protesting tone.

"I know," drawled Severus. "That's what worries me," he finished in a softer tone. Harry looked down and started picking at his woven blanket. Severus placed a hand over Harry's moving one and quickly placed a kiss to the top of his head while it was still bowed. "Get some sleep, Harry. Maybe you'll feel more hungry in the morning when you are not so tired." Severus stood and walked to the door, turning back to flick his wand at Harry's bedside light. Harry had laid down but was watching him closely. "Good night, Harry."

"Good night, Dad," Harry replied quietly. Severus closed the door behind him as he left, heading to his office to write a letter to Poppy, asking what she would recommend for Harry's returned lack of appetite.

**Please read and review - they brighten my day and I love hearing the personal tidbits people put in as well :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, well this has been sitting on my computer for about two weeks now and I just can't find any way to make it longer/better... **

**I've written another Harry & Severus story called Observations that I've also put up tonight, so if this isn't long enough for you, mosey on over there to the almost 4,000 word drabble I put up :) **

**As always, read and review and not my characters, just my sandbox :)**

**Chapter Two**

"Harry!" Hermione's voice was joyful and Harry instinctively braced himself for the impact. Even with his forethought, he still groaned as Hermione hugged him tightly. "Oh sorry Harry." She backed off, giving him a concerned look.

"That's alright, I'm just sore from my riding lesson yesterday," Harry reassured her. She smiled broadly at him.

"Was it lots of fun? My cousin rides and she loves it and-" Harry held up a hand to stop her from continuing.

"It was awesome. Dad was really patient and Mickey went really slow so I didn't feel scared." Harry winced as his sore muscles twinged. "I'm just really sore today though." Harry looked around curiously, subtlety examining Hermione's home. There were awards in the cabinet beside the TV and a bookshelf full of books next to the fireplace. Severus was still talking to the Grangers in the blue decorated hallway, and Harry liked the way the same colours extended into the living room.

"That's to be expected. My cousin Anna said that everyone gets sore after their first ride," Hermione said.

"Yeah, so did Dad," Harry agreed.

Hermione bit her lip and Harry could tell that there was something that she was dying to talk about. "What, Hermione?"

Hermione broke out into a tentative smile. "My parents said that Professor Snape told them that the Dursleys are living with you. Are things going alright? Why do they have to stay with you?"

Harry frowned briefly. He wanted to tell his friends everything, he really did, but he just wasn't ready for Hermione to know. And yet, every time they came up, she seemed to know something was wrong and that she didn't know the full story. "Well, Dudley's being his usual horrid self. Uncle Vernon seems too afraid of Dad to do anything too bad at the moment but it's still only been three days. He might get a little more courageous after about a week. Then again, he really is afraid that Severus is going to turn him into a toad." Suddenly, Harry remembered something. "Hey! Dad let me do magic yesterday! I was doing my Transfiguration homework and asked him a question about the wand movements and he let me practice on one of his cauldrons. It didn't work properly but it grew a tail!" Harry told her excitedly.

"Oh wow, Harry, that's really cool. You're lucky that the Ministry didn't send you a warning…" Hermione said.

"Dad let me use his wand. He said that if we don't use our own wand and we don't do magic in a Muggle area, the Ministry can't tell who actually did it. How cool is that?" Harry explained. "That's why Draco knew all those spells when he came to school – his mum let him try with her wand."

"Hmm, that's not really all that fair. It seems to give a bit of an advantage to Magical children, doesn't it Severus?" Dr Granger said as the two men came in to sit down.

"It would, except most Magical families agree with the Trace and don't act to avoid it. Those families who do, usually find that no matter how far advanced their children are at the start of the year, others usually catch up. The teachers at Hogwarts are also generally aware of children who have this head start and expect more of them for the same praise as a result. And no matter what magic a child can perform in the private of their own home, they may also suffer from performance nerves when asked to demonstrate, which can greatly effect their casting ability," Severus explained.

"Like our Hermione. Professor McGonagall wrote us a lovely letter saying how she was in the top of her classes and showing a lot of potential for next year," Mrs Dr Granger said as she carried the tea tray into the room. Hermione beamed with pride and Harry laughed.

"Well of course she is," Harry said. "If anyone read as much as Hermione and asked as many questions as she does, they'd be the same. Except they don't because that's something that's uniquely Hermione," Harry finished as he realised that what he'd said could sound mean.

Hermione smiled at him, knowing that he'd meant it in a good way. "Harry's the best in Potions and Defence though. And Neville's really good at Herbology. Teddy wants to be able to do Muggle Studies already; Harry and I have been telling him about Muggle inventions and it's made him really curious," Hermione gushed.

"That's good, dear," Mrs Dr Granger said softly. "It's good that your Magical friends are interested in Muggle things. Especially since you're learning all these Magical things. Does everyone have to study Muggle Studies?" Mrs Dr Granger asked Severus.

"No, it is an elective subject chose after completion of second year. We cannot easily force everyone to take the class as some parents are opposed to their students learning Muggle Studies," Severus answered quietly. "It is, however, encouraged by all the Heads of Houses when students come to them for advice."

"That's good. Hermione's told us about the way the purebloods think about Muggles and I hate to think of our Hermione in that kind of environment," Dr Granger replied.

Harry and Hermione made eye contact over their glasses of Coke. "Mum, Harry and I are going to go in my room and talk, okay?" Hermione said with a smile. The adults looked them over and Hermione's mum smiled and nodded.

"Keep your door open and don't spill anything," Dr Granger added.

"Yes Dad," Hermione said as she got up form where they were sitting. Harry followed her upstairs to her room. Hermione's room was decorated in understated shades of blue and yellow, making it slightly girly but not enough that Harry was embarrassed to be there.

"I hope that Severus doesn't mind that my parents are probably going to ask him lots of questions like that," Hermione said sheepishly.

"I don't think Severus will mind. He'll probably just reassure them that Hogwarts is the only choice for you because any other school wouldn't be good enough. I think he was planning on giving you other stuff of do during Potions next year. He said that he didn't want us getting bored or we'd do something, well, us," Harry said with a smile. Hermione laughed then looked interested.

"I think you Dad knows us too well," she replied.

Harry nodded enthusiastically. "I think he knows us just well enough," he said. Hermione nodded and then the both fell quiet for a moment.

"Were you scared?" Hermione asked suddenly.

"Terrified. I can't stop seeing it in my head every time I close my eyes," Harry said. "I just keep wondering what would have happened if Severus hadn't woken up. I only just found him, Hermione," Harry admitted quietly.

"I was scared. I was scared that I couldn't remember the right amount of compressions and breathes. Or that I'd get it right but it wouldn't work. Oh Harry, all I could think was that of all the tests I was ever going to take, this was the most important one I could ever pass. And now, every time Mum talks about my test scores, they're not important!" Hermione burst out. Harry moved closer to her, unsure of how to comfort her best. He didn't have to worry as Hermione launched herself at him and buried her face in his shoulder. Harry felt her shoulders shake and heard her sob.

"It's alright, Hermione. We weren't meant to be there – no one would have blamed you if you hadn't been able to help him. We're eleven years old, Hermione; we're too young to be the heroes." Harry realised as he spoke that this is what had been bugging him all along. "We were doing the best we can. That's all we've been doing. All I've been doing," Harry whispered. Hermione looked up with tears in her eyes, frowning in confusion. "Hermione, I have something to tell you."

Hermione stepped back and wiped her eyes. "What is it, Harry?"

"The Dursley's abused me, Hermione," Harry said bluntly. Hermione gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "They starved me for pretty much anything, I slept in a cupboard for ten years and my Uncle, well, my Uncle beat me with a belt, especially when I did accidental magic. That's what Teddy knows, that's why Severus adopted me and that's why I'm so anxious about them at Severus' house. I didn't tell you because…" Harry faded off. "I was embarrassed, I guess."

"Oh Harry," Hermione said as she threw her arms around him again. "I'm so sorry." She squeezed him tighter and pulled back. "But Severus is helping you through it, right?"

"Yeah, he's been doing a lot to help me. He wants me to try going to a counsellor but I'm not sure," Harry told her. Hermione nodded understandingly.

"My mum helps at a battered woman's shelter and she said that, sometimes, the ladies there go to therapy and just find it really confronting instead of helpful." Trust Hermione to know something about this. "Maybe you should just wait a little while. Is Teddy the only one of us who knows?"

"Flint does too because they guessed but Neville doesn't. I think all of the teachers know, at least Minerva and Madame Pomfrey does," Harry said.

"I knew something was wrong and that's why Professor Snape was trying to adopt you but I didn't know it was that bad. Oh Harry, this makes me so much happier that I passed that test," Hermione said with a teary smile.

Harry laughed shortly. "Yeah, me too, Hermione." Hermione still looked bothered so Harry hugged her tight for a moment. "Do you ever think about what would have happened if we hadn't gone to find them. I feel like, if Dad hadn't had us to think about, he would have been able to get his wand back without going to such drastic measures."

Hermione nodded. "I sometimes think that, if we'd gone to get another teacher instead of being so scared of getting in trouble, then McGonagall or Flitwick could have disarmed him and done something better than physically attacking Quirrell. Do you know what Dumbledore did with the Stone, after all that?" Hermione asked.

"They destroyed it. Flamel said that he didn't want something he'd created bringing back someone so evil, so they destroyed the Stone and he died. Dumbledore told me before Dad stopped him. Dad didn't seem very happy with me knowing that," Harry finished sheepishly.

"That's so sad. Even if he was so old, he shouldn't have had to die to stop Voldemort from coming back," Hermione said.

"Nobody should have had to die because of Voldemort, Hermione," Harry said pensively.

Hermione nodded, falling silent for a moment. Harry didn't know whether to change the sombre mood or not. "If they abused you, how can you even stand to have them in the house?" Hermione asked.

Harry was used to Hermione changing the subject randomly. "It's really hard. That's why we're here, visiting so soon." Harry paused, thinking about his fight with Dudley this morning. "Severus is being really strict with them though."

"That's good. I don't think that Severus would be anything other than strict with people who had a history of child abuse, Harry," Hermione said seriously.

"Dudley and I had a fight this morning. Severus yelled at Dudley and me pretty loud. He sent both of us to our rooms for the morning." Harry grimaced. "I think Dad was actually more angry at Uncle Vernon for egging Dudley on though."

"And so he should be! Imagine, after all his warnings to behave and the fact that they know that Severus is a wizard who could, in their eyes, turn them into a toad," Hermione said haughtily. "I hope he told your Uncle off properly."

Harry laughed. "Highlight of my day, Hermione. The look on Uncle Vernon's face when Severus told him off! I think I'll laugh every time I remember that," Harry said quietly. Hermione cracked a tentative smile. "Honestly, Hermione, I thought he was going to burst a vein or something from anger."

"Oh Harry, how can you laugh about that?" Hermione asked.

"Laugh or go crazy, Hermione. If I didn't develop a sense of humour, I'd have gone crazy," Harry said. "And I'm not giving them the satisfaction."

"I can believe that. I used to get bullied a lot at school because I'm so bookish and I had to learn to just laugh if off. Otherwise, they knew what hurt. It's different when they're family, I'm sure," Hermione backtracked.

"That's exactly how it feels," Harry nodded. "If I'd shown any hurt or not looked smug when Severus told them off then they'd know how much they can hurt me. I've never given them any reactions if I can help it."

"I can believe that." Hermione said appreciatively. "So, are you going to see Teddy and Neville over the summer?"

"Yeah, Dad's already said that I can plan something for us all to do on my birthday," Harry said with a smile.

"Do you know what it is that you want to do?" Hermione asked enthusiastically.

"Not really. Dudley always went somewhere Muggle for his birthday and I don't know if Teddy, Neville and the Twins are going to like those sort of things." Harry shrugged.

"Well it is your birthday, Harry. Teddy will probably find it interesting and Neville's too nice to complain. Plus his birthday is right around then so he can do something Magical for his birthday if he wants." Hermione's thoughts on the matter sounded very rational to Harry so he decided to trust her judgement.

"Dad suggested a movie and then having a stayover at our house." Harry couldn't bring himself to say the girly sounding 'sleepover' word.

"That sounds like a great ide. Maybe Professor Snape will let us do something for my birthday too. It's in September, so we'll be back at school," Hermione said with an eager smile.

"I believe I could organise something, Hermione. After all, it may end up being a reward for good behaviour as well," Severus said as he appeared at Hermione's bedroom door. At Harry and Hermione's groan, Severus smirked. "You wouldn't have to worry if you'd just stay out of mischief for a month."

"Tell that to Teddy, sir," Hermione replied cheekily.

"I will. I will also tell the twins if you wish for them to be included," Severus answered.

"Oh and Rachel and Katie and Flint too," Harry added with a confirming glance at Hermione.

"Yes please. It would be nice to hang around with some girls as well this year," Hermione said, not insultingly.

"That sounds like a good goal for this year, Hermione," Severus praised. "Now, unfortunately, we must say goodbye and make our way back to the farm, Harry."

"Aw, Dad," Harry started.

"No, Harry. We've been gone longer than I trust the Dursleys anyway," Severus said sternly. Severus nodded to Hermione and then walked back out of sight.

"I guess this is goodbye then. I don't know when Dad will have time to Apparate me here again before my birthday but I'll send Hedwig with a letter when I know," Harry said. Hermione stood from where she'd sat on her bed.

"Oh, do, please. It's going to be lonely here without everyone from Hogwarts." Harry nodded in understanding. Feeling calmer after all their talking, Harry reached out and hugged Hermione goodbye for the first time since meeting her.

_Dear Teddy,_

_The last week has been kind of weird. Having my family here is going okay. After Dad told Uncle Vernon off, they started following all the rules that Dad set for them. Dudley's been really vocal about not liking the rules but he's still been doing it. You should have seen him washing dishes the other day; Severus made him redo them twice! _

_I saw Hermione a couple of days ago and Dad said that your Mum said you could come over next week. Neville's Gran said that Nev can come over next week as well._

_Hermione was really upset by what happened. To tell you the truth, so am I a bit. But Dad and McGonagall are making sure I'm not feeling anything stupid. Or doing anything like avoiding Severus again._

_I'm riding Mickey every day now. Dad says I'm doing really well. I think Mick's just really patient. _

_How are your hols going? Do you see Flint much?_

_Harry_

_Dear Harry,_

_Holidays are going awesome. Mum said that I have to go back to my lessons with Prof. Snape so I should be round your place a lot this summer._

_I hope your family (bad name for them since they aren't really) are behaving themselves. Otherwise I'm putting snakes in a box for you to put in their beds._

_McGonagall has been here to talk to me too. I told her I'd talk to Prof. Snape when I go to lessons._

_Cheers_

_Teddy_

_To Professor Dumbledore,_

_It is my recommendation that Dudley Dursley be returned to his parents' custody as they have demonstrated proper enthusiasm for a proper diet and exercise plan for him. He is also making progress towards respect and appropriated manners. It would be beneficial for the family to still be subjected to home visits (possibly as frequent as once a week) and family counselling with Melanie would be advised. Since Dudley seems to believe that he can act appropriately in public while still maintaining his personal beliefs, individual as well as family sessions are advised._

_On another note, I have enclosed a picture of Harry riding Mickey, which Minerva insisted I send you. _

_Yours sincerely,_

_Severus Snape_

**Sneak preview of next chapter: **

"Welcome, Lupin. Your room is upstairs and to the left on the far wall. The bathroom is the door directly facing the stairs. Once you're settled in, I'll give you the rest of the tour," Severus said, rather pleasantly considering the circumstances."


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so to be honest - I kind of hated how I wrote the last Chapter Three. Really badly. Therefore, I attacked the ending again, this time with a completely different idea in mind. The first part is unchanged but the part about the blood adoption is majorly changed and if you don't read the new version, then you'll be completely lost when I post Chapter Four. **

**For reference, this is the author's note from the original - **

**Umm, so yeah. About updating... Whoops. :) I don't have any excuses, except that I wasn't really feeling this part of the story for a little (long) while. I want to jump ahead and get to the action bits but I need to work on building up to things, so I had to write this chapter first. That said, I wrote this in two sessions, and most of it today. It is not beta'd and because I'm kind of not inspired at the moment, may be a bit iffy. However, I've thought that about chapters before and had some amazing reviews change my mind. Speaking of amazing reviews, they really do help me write - when I feel like the inspiration just isn't there and my sentences all sound forced, I read past reviews of this story and Letters Year One and they just help me power through the struggle. So thank you, for turning a piece of writing I never expected to get any reviews on, into something I can be proud of. :)**

**Oh and btw, someone asked about printing my story out and reading it that way - go ahead, just don't go posting it and saying it's yours. I'm amazed that someone would like it so much that they'd like to keep a copy. Same goes for saving it. Actually if you want to save it, drop me a message on here and I'll pdf Letters Year One and email it to you - save you some work. I may put a watermark inconspicuously on the pdf though :)**

**Anyway, read, enjoy, review and of course, not mine, just my sandbox.**

"Argh!" 'Thump.'

Severus lifted his head from his Potion research, straining his ears. That scream had sounded genuine. He stood up, pulling out his wand and moving quickly up the basement stairs. "Harry? Theodore?" He called, noticing that Harry's book had been abandoned in the library.

"Up here, Dad!" Harry called. Severus could hear laughter in his voice and sighed before replacing his wand in his sleeve. "We're okay, Teddy just found Nemo!" Severus frowned for a moment and then remembered that that was what Harry had chosen to name the large house spider that he had found in the corner of his bathroom. He had chosen the name after watching a movie at Lupin's house – personally, Severus didn't see the appeal. Theodore had expressed a dislike of the idea when Harry had told him about it, mentioning a fear of spiders.

"It was in my clothes! My clothes Harry!" Severus heard Theodore shout, panic in his tone.

Severus heard Harry's voice reply, certain that he was saying something cheeky. "Be nice to each other, boys, you have to spend the whole day together."

"Yes, Dad!" "Yes, sir!" Severus shook his head at the synchronised answer and turned back to go down to the basement. "Dad, what time are we leaving?" Harry yelled.

"In twenty minutes. You boys had better hurry up if you still want to come," Severus said casually, knowing that the boys would never risk missing this. He went down the stairs quickly, sure that his potion hadn't survived the interruption. He was right, he realised, as he saw the murky quality of liquid. With a frustrated sigh, he banished it, checking the amount of ingredients he had left. "Need more hellebore," Severus muttered under his breath.

"Dad?" Severus looked up as he heard Harry at the top of the stairs.

"Come in, Harry, I'm not working on anything," Severus said. Harry came down the stairs, twisting a jumper in his hands. "Yes?"

"Is this fair for Muggles as well as Magical people?" Harry asked, sitting himself on the stool.

"It's actually only for Muggles – the town we're living near is purely Muggle. You and Theodore will have to be very careful not to say anything suspicious; the Muggles here used to know about magic and they pass their stories down to their children so they tend to be more suspicious of people talking about Magical things. I was going to tell you as we walked down to the village. Why?"

"Just curious," Harry replied, fiddling with the things on Severus' work bench. Severus studied him, checking Harry's body language. Harry's tone was off-hand but the slumped shoulders, fidgeting hands and avoidance of eye contact was telling.

"Anything on your mind, Harry?" Severus pulled the other stool over to him and sat on it, placing his hand over Harry's so that he would stop fidgeting. Harry looked up in surprise and then shook his head.

"No, nothing's wrong," Harry said.

"Hmm, I didn't ask you if anything was wrong," Severus drawled, raising an eyebrow at him.

Harry's eyes widened and he smiled crookedly. "Whoops."

Severus smiled back at him, brushing a piece of his hair back to get it out of his eyes. He spotted Harry's smile and scowled.

"You should cut it," Harry said cheekily.

"That'll be enough out of you, thank you," Severus said, mock-scowling at Harry. By now, he knew Severus well enough that he just smiled back.

"Can we go for a ride when we get back? I know Teddy can't ride but he'll probably want to sleep anyway…" Harry trailed off as Severus held up a hand.

"We won't be back until well after dark today. Tomorrow morning, we'll go before Theodore would usually get out of bed. Then he won't have to spend as much time on his own. Though, if you want, we can wait until his mother comes to fetch him; it might not be until much later in the afternoon." Severus stood up as he spoke, straightening things in preparation for leaving for the fair. Each summer, the local village put on a fair to celebrate the season. Severus had always used it as a chance to get local news and gossip but he had never really appreciated it. With Harry living with him for the summer and Theodore spending two nights at their house, Severus had decided it would be a good way to entertain them. He had underestimated the appeal of the fair though, as both boys had been so excited that they hadn't slept much the night before.

"Tomorrow afternoon is alright. It's not that important," Harry said, still fidgeting.

"If you need to talk before that Harry, you know that you're welcome to any time," Severus said. Harry nodded and smiled as he walked back over to the door.

"I know, Dad. You keep saying," Harry teased.

"Indeed. And perhaps I wouldn't have to if you would attempt to act like you believe me." Harry crinkled his nose and shook his head.

"Are we leaving now?" Harry asked.

"Yes, you and Theodore should meet me at the front gate," Severus answered, ignoring Harry's slide into a different topic.

Harry nodded and disappeared up the stairs, taking them two at a time from the sound. Severus opened his mouth to tell him to go more slowly then shut it, defeated. Harry's changes of mood had been erratic ever since the Dursleys had returned to Little Whinging. He didn't seem to notice them or be distressed by them but Severus had noticed Theodore reacting to them over the last 36 hours. There was something very useful about having an empath in the house.

Severus picked up his coat from where he'd left it that morning and walked up the stairs, putting it over his arm. He could hear the boys getting organised and walking down the stairs as he walked out the front door. He smirked as he heard Theodore stumble as he came down the stairs and Harry's laugh. Theodore had undergone a growth spurt over last two weeks and as a result, had been quite clumsy.

He swept down the lane to the gate, hearing the boys talking behind him. "Do you both have your coats? We won't be returning until after dinner and it'll be quite cold here after dark." Severus turned around to see the boys both raise their jumpers up. "Good. Here is £10 each. You don't need to spend it on lunch or dinner but you are allowed to buy yourself treats or something from the stalls." Severus held out the two notes and the boys both took one each. Severus could tell from the looks between them that they were definitely planning on getting something sugary.

The boys went silent as someone they didn't know approached, leading Strider from a big bay horse and with Mickey pulling a small cart. Severus had arranged with James McCrery, who had sold him Mickey in the first place, to travel to the town together using the horses. Since he knew that Theodore wouldn't want to ride, he'd offered Mickey to pull the farming family's cart.

"Good Morning, Professor. How's your morning been?" James said as they came up to them.

"Pleasant, thank you. Boys, this is Mr and Mrs McCrery and their three children, Lucy, she is twelve like you, Samuel, he's eight and Danielle, who is only four. You're going to ride with them in the cart while Mr McCrery and I ride the horses. McCrerys, this is Harry and Theodore." Severus saw the dubious look that Harry and Theodore were giving the cart and motioned for them to go around the back of the cart. From there, Lucy told them how to climb up and sit in the back with them. Severus watched them exchange friendly greetings and then turned and mounted Strider.

"If the preparations from yesterday were any indications, today should be very colourful," Joanne McCrery said as she clucked to Mickey from the cart.

"Indeed. I haven't been into town since," Severus paused, thinking.

"Last summer's fair, Severus," James said as he trotted his massive Shire horse past the cart.

"That long?" Severus replied with a smirk.

"Yes. And you haven't come to dinner as you promised either," Joanne replied. Severus raised his eyebrow, knowing that Joanne was smart enough to not be offended by the sarcasm.

"Perhaps next week, then?" Severus asked.

"I'll be expecting you and Harry Sunday next week," Joanne said smartly, before turning to talk to the children.

Severus smiled at her handling of him and then urged Strider to catch up with James. "New horse?"

"Yessir. Bought him off a man who thought he'd try his hand at classical farming. Didn't do so well without the right instruction but didn't want to learn." Severus shared a smile with him and then nodded for him to continue. "Knows how to pull a real plough, once you know what you're doing. And he's not too bad under saddle either." At that moment, the great horse threw his head up and darted sideways, making Strider throw his head up in turn. Severus steadied his horse and moved him aside, making room for the farmer to bring his mount back under control.

"Oh he seems perfect," Severus drawled. The muscled farmer laughed and waved him off. The reason Severus had befriended this particular family was their reluctance to use any modern technology. They farmed using no technology and only kept the most basic amenities on their farm. Their way of living was key in them accepting Severus, as he lived quite similarly to them purely out of habit.

The horses trotted along contentedly after that, Mickey's harness rattling quietly as he pulled the cart. Severus could hear the McCrery children telling Harry and Theodore what they had to look forward to and asking them about their school. Harry took the lead in the conversation and gave a convincing lie about a boarding school, impressing Severus. He had obviously told Theodore about the need to lie to the townsfolk and they had come up with a story.

As they got closer to town, they came off the lane onto a road and Severus heard Joanne asking the children to watch for inconsiderate cars. There was some traffic on the road, due to the fair, Severus was sure. Luckily, everyone approaching the town seemed to understand the need for space around their chosen transport and didn't obnoxiously come too close. Even so, he rode Strider up next to James' great horse so that he was between the easy-startled horse and the traffic.

They reached the outskirts of the town quite quickly after that and James led the way to a house off the main street. From the outside, the house looked ordinary but after entering the backyard, the stable at the back became apparent. James and Severus dismounted and began to untack their horses. The McCrery children helped Harry and Teddy down and then began to teach them how to take the harness off of the pony. Breaking loose from Samuel, Mickey trotted into the large stable and into the first stall, turning and watching them around the door.

"Mickey!" Lucy cried, going after him.

"Don't worry lass, he's in the right spot. Just shut the door, there's a good girl." The man running the stable called. "He's a right regular, he is."

"Should I tie these two outside, Mason?" James called to him.

"Yeah, do that, and I'll have the boys put them away. Got to earn their keep somehow," The man joked from down the stable aisle. James nodded and took Strider from Severus, tying his big horse onto a hitching post so that he could reach the water. Strider went calmly next to him and Severus gave the black horse a pat on the rump before stacking his saddle with James' in the cart.

"We'll say goodbye here then, and meet up at the pub for dinner?" James asked Severus.

"Yes, that sounds like a good plan. Harry, Theodore, come with me," Severus called. Severus could see Harry watching Lucy as she helped her mother and smiled. It had been a good thing then, to introduce them. "You can meet up with the other children later."

Harry and Teddy trotted over and followed Severus as he walked out of the yard and onto the road that would take them to the centre of town. They chattered happily, increasing in excitement as they came to the decorations and the first stalls of the gathering. Severus stopped them there, holding up a hand. "Two rules – don't let anyone know that you're magic and don't do anything foolish. That covers getting into trouble with the local police, breaking any laws or being a nuisance. If you need to find me, ask at the Post Office. Meet me at noon at the Town Hall and we'll go to lunch. Please don't get into any trouble and don't spend all your money on the first thing you see." Severus finished, noticing that the boys were busy watching their surrounds. "Do I need to make you repeat it?"

"Nope, we got it. Post Office if we need you, Town Hall at noon. No worries, Professor," Teddy parroted back. Harry nodded with a smile.

"Then go, be free." Severus threw his hands up and the boys laughed and trotted off to the stall they'd been eyeing. Severus watched them go and then stalked off down a side street, heading for the only magical store in the small backwards town. The small apothecary kept its doors open by acting as a tourist attraction but behind the quaint façade there was a bustling apothecary, making its money by selling owl-order. It was into this small shop that Severus ducked, brushing road dirt and horse hair from his trousers as he closed the door behind him.

"Welcome to Madame Vega's Apothecary," came a dreamy female voice. Severus smirked in the direction it was coming from. "Oh it's you Professor," Sabrina said as she emerged from the dark corner of the store.

"Good morning, Sabrina. Do you have time for a customer?" Severus asked, brushing a scornful eye over the fake merchandise out the front.

"For you, of course," Sabrina replied as she opened the counter and gestured for him to follow her. He swept behind the counter and into the small room at the back, admiring the organisation system that left the most expensive ingredients on display. "What can I help you with this morning, Professor?"

It was some time later that Severus exited the little shop onto the now very crowded street. He looked around, wondering if he would spot two black haired boys nearby. He couldn't see them, so he cast a careful "Point Me" spell, holding his wand so it only slightly protruded from his sleeve. Following its directions, he stepped onto another street and spotted the two boys further up the street. He followed them at a distance, chatting with a stallholder or two while the boys stopped and started. He could hear Harry's voice in all the chatter, happily asking questions and exclaiming in delight at things that amused him. Severus frowned briefly, wondering what it was that stopped Harry being that outgoing all the time. Then he shook off the doubt and handed over some coin to a man selling things carved out of wood. This purchase would make up part of Harry's birthday present later in the month.

He went on in this way, following the two eleven year olds from a distance, letting them be independent for a day. Around 11 o'clock, the boys purchased a sweet bun from the bakery and made their way to the square in the centre of the village, where people where sitting with their families and watching. Harry slumped to the ground first and Severus could see the worried look on Theodore faces as he sat slowly next to him. Severus cast a quick eavesdropping spell, wondering how Harry's over-protective friend would react.

"Do you still have nightmares like you used to?" Theodore asked.

"Not really. It's more that I just couldn't get to sleep at all. Every time I felt tired, I'd close my eyes and try to sleep but it wouldn't happen," Harry muttered.

"Why didn't you tell your Dad? I'm sure he would have given you something to help you sleep," Theodore pointed out, quite logically, Severus thought.

"I just didn't want to be…" Harry started.

"A bother," Theodore finished with a shake of his head. "Why do I even ask anymore?"

"Because you're eternally hopeful." Harry paused. "Hufflepuff." His cheeky grin was short lived as Teddy shot him a look of mock horror and then lunged at him. The scuffle drew glares from a group of old women near them and laughter from a group of men as Harry gained the upper hand with a smirk. Noticing the attention they'd garnered, he blushed and quickly stood up, pulling Theodore with him.

"Doofus."

"Noodlehead."

"Ignoramus."

"Hufflepuff," Harry ended with a smirk, laughing when Theodore made to chase him away. Severus chose that moment to walk across the square, taking himself into the boys' line of sight. He felt more than heard them pick themselves up and come towards him.

"Hey Dad, did you have a good morning? Is it twelve already?" Harry asked quickly. "Because if it is, we're sorry we're late."

"Have you both had some sugar this morning? Or is Harry merely suffering from the side effects of being over-tired?" Severus asked lightly.

"Bit of both, Professor. There was a guy making salt-water taffy and he gave us samples. Lots of samples," Theodore replied, equally bouncy.

"Indeed. Then, no, it's not time yet. We merely managed to make our way to the same place at the same time. If you are still hungry after all your samples, then I would be amiable to moving lunch forward. However, if you are not, perhaps you might enjoy a visit to the local bookstore?" Severus suggested, seeing in Harry's posture that he was buckling under constant bombardment of noise and voices.

"I think we could look at some books," Theodore agreed amiably. "That roll was kind of filling. Are we doing anything after lunch?"

"I thought that we might go down to the green and watch some of the equestrian events that the town stages on fair day. You expressed interest in it when we talked last week, Harry?" Severus prompted.

"Yeah, that'll be cool. Lucy told us they do sheepdog trials too. What are sheepdog trials?" Harry asked, perking up a bit at the mention of the looked-forward to horse show.

"When they test the skills of the dogs that they use on farms. They usually have to drive a small herd of sheep through a series of gates or turns to show their control over the sheep. They can be quite fascinating, depending on how skilled the owner and dog are," Severus explained.

"I don't like dogs. Aunt Marge's dog scared me," Harry said with a nose crinkle.

"Mum has wolfhounds. They're big dogs, like this tall-" Theodore motioned about chest high, "but they're all really gentle. Only listen to Mum and the dog walker though."

"A dog that big," Harry copied the motion. "Yeah, no thank you."

Severus smirked, wondering what Harry would make of Lupin's condition when he found out about it if he was so wary about dogs.

"They're actually quite friendly, really. And really good pillows when you're sitting next to the fire in winter. When they're not chewing on your hands of course," Theodore finished when he saw the freaked out look Harry had. Severus smiled internally at the brotherly teasing, recognising it from interactions between Theodore and Flint over the years. He was glad that the boys had found someone their own age to bond with, especially since it was bringing both of them out their shells.

**Harry POV**

Harry lent subtly against Severus' side as they ate dinner, picking at the chips that Severus held in paper on his lap. Teddy was on his other side, chatting with Lucy. Harry had never had fish and chips before and the hot greasiness was delicious after all the excitement of the day. He picked up another burning piece of fish and picked at it delicately. Severus had been surprised when both Harry and Teddy had said they'd never had it but said that they'd like it. Even the Dursley's hadn't had this type of fast food often – they'd mostly chosen oily Chinese foods and sugary treats. Harry finished his piece of fish and picked up his frozen Coke – another treat that Severus had promised he'd enjoy. He drank a little bit, surprised at how nice the icy drink was after the fish and chips. He kept his eyes on the drama production that they'd been watching while they ate and sucked on the drink, smiling when the actors onstage did something funny.

He glanced at Teddy, surprised to see how well the Pureblood boy was adapting to the Muggleness of the encounter. He had spent the whole day soaking up as much Muggle things as he could and genuinely enjoying all the little details of Muggle life. Harry wondered how someone with parents like Teddy's could turn out so open to everything Muggle. Then he thought about the Dursley's and how close-minded they were and shuddered. It was a good thing Teddy was so much better than them.

Severus' hand squeezed his shoulder, pulling his attention back to the adult's conversation. They were talking about adoptions, specifically Harry's. Severus was talking about the trouble that they'd had with the authorities not wanting to give a child to a single parent.

"I honestly don't see why that would be an issue. If they're worried that you won't be a good parent, surely your teaching is a point in your favour. And if not, why do they allow single parents to foster if they won't let them adopt?" Harry crinkled his nose and then his mouth dropped kind of open in surprise. He probed his tongue against the top of his mouth, wondering why his tongue felt so weird.

"Has your tongue gone numb, Harry?" Lucy asked from the other side of Teddy.

"Yeah, I think so," Harry said, relieved that his voice didn't sound slurred.

"That always happens when we get frozen Coke. But Mum doesn't let us have them very often – we get hyper," Samuel piped up.

"Hmm, I'm sure you do. But luckily, you'll be so tired from the fair today that you'll be too sleepy to be hyper," Severus drawled, making Samuel and Danielle giggle.

"Nup, Mr Snap, we won't," Danielle said through her giggling.

"Mr Snape, Danielle, not Snap," Mrs McCrery said sternly. Harry and Teddy shared a look, both holding in their laughter. Wait til they told Hermione!

"It's alright, Joanne, she's learning," Severus soothed, giving the boys a stern look. They both made themselves serious for a moment and then dissolved into laughter when Lucy did. Their laughter covered the exasperated groan that Severus gave but Harry could tell that he didn't mean it. While they were laughing, the actors onstage took their bow and Harry startled at the sudden noises around him. Severus laid a steadying hand on his back and then clapped for the performers.

"Oh, is it that late already? Guess it's time to get back to the stable then," Mr McCrery said. He stood up and brushed himself off, offering a hand to his wife. Teddy sprang to his feet and copied him, lifting Lucy with him. Harry levered himself up and helped Samuel and Danielle to their feet. Danielle slipped her hand into his, smiling at him. Harry was kind of nervous around her, since he'd never been around someone so young before. But all afternoon she'd walked next to him and smiled at him whenever Harry looked down at her, so he let her walk besides him as they went back to the stables where Mickey was.

The stable seemed to be just closing down for the evening and there were several hands still standing around holding feeds. Mickey spotted the children and nickered from his stall door and Harry could hear him lift his hoof to tap at the door in eagerness. Strider and Mr McCrery's big horse were tied up next to him, already tacked up. Mrs McCrery and Lucy went and brought Mickey out his stall, thanking the nearby boy for putting his harness on him already. Mrs McCrery took him out to the cart and hooked him up while the McCrery kids guided Harry and Teddy into the back of it. Harry was thankful for the blankets lining the bottom of it now, since they made it comfortable enough to lie down in the back. Harry settled down with Danielle and Samuel, watching Teddy and Lucy talk. He hadn't seen Teddy that animated with a girl before – he was friendly with Hermione but there was always some lingering competitive edge that made their interactions full of friction. The cart started moving with a slight jolt and Harry let the movement of the cart lull him into a sleepy state…

Harry started awake, surprised to find he didn't have his glasses on. When he turned over, he recognised his bedside table and quickly reached for where he knew his glasses would be. He didn't remember walking up to his bedroom but it wasn't the first time he'd fallen asleep somewhere in the house and ended up in his bedroom. He glanced at the clock, annoyed to find that it was one o'clock in the morning. He sat up slowly, wondering what it was that woke him. He heard a muffled thump and realised that he could hear voices in the hall – none of which sounded like his Dad's, but familiar all the same. He grabbed his wand from under his pillow and crept out of bed and across the room to the door. He checked when he got to it that Teddy hadn't awoken, but his friend was fast asleep. Harry eased the door open, brandishing his wand in front of him.

"Remus?" Harry whispered harshly, a little louder than he expected.

"Harry?" Remus was in the hallway, catching sight of him as he left the room. He moved to block Harry's way but Harry caught sight of Professor McGonagall talking to Madame Pomfrey near Severus' door.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, standing his ground as Remus moved towards him. "What's wrong with Severus?" Harry didn't care that he sounded kind of panicky.

"Nothing's wrong, Harry," Remus soothed. "Actually, the potion that Severus was working on has been successful – he's just resting. He wanted us here to supervise and we were just talking about how good it is that it's been successful. Go back to bed, Harry and we'll try to be more quiet." Harry stood his ground and shook his head, wanting to make sure Severus was alright.

"I want to see him," Harry said stubbornly.

"I don't think he'd like that, Harry. He's very tired and he was quite ill for awhile while it worked. I will make sure that he wakes you up tomorrow morning to assure you that he's okay," Remus said, walking forward so that Harry had to step back into his room.

"Remus, please?" Harry asked, biting his lip anxiously. Remus looked undecided but then shook his head firmly.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but it's best that you wait until the morning," Remus said as he pushed Harry's door open to herd him through. Harry frowned but allowed himself to be herded backward. "Come on kiddo, back to bed."

"I'm not a kid," Harry muttered rebelliously but he went back to his bed and sat back against the headboard.

"Alright, but you're not sitting up, waiting for us to go and then sneaking into your Dad's room, Harry. I know that trick," Remus said as he picked the covers up and held them up for Harry to slide down. Harry threw one last desperate look his way and then slid down until he was lying down.

"I wasn't going to sneak."

"Sure you weren't," Remus said with a gentle smile. "I would, if it were me. But you've got to let Severus rest for the night. His body needs it right now, even if he wouldn't act like it if you did go in there. So I'll be downstairs, on the couch, and if you need anything, you come down and fetch me, okay?" Harry nodded at Remus, frowning just a little. "Good night, Harry." Remus patted him on the shoulder and then walked out of Harry's room, pulling the door shut behind him. Harry watched the door, listening to the whispers on the other side, and wished that Remus had let him go to his Dad, even if he was sick.

**Severus POV**

Severus groaned internally as he came conscious the next morning. The light from the window seemed to be a lot brighter than it usually was and his arm throbbed. Cataloguing his body, he figured that they were the worst hurts at the moment and he would probably be able to stand without too many difficulties.

He levered himself upright, ignoring Aiko's hiss of displeasure. He flicked his hand dismissively at her, smiling when she reached out to bat at his hand. He put his feet on the floor, hissing at the dizziness that kicked in and then stood, swaying for a moment.

He looked up with a scowl as his bedroom door opened, hoping Lupin would get the message and leave him alone. Lupin smiled at him, coming into his room without hesitation. "Don't worry, Poppy already told me about how pleasant you are in the morning. She left a potion for you, as well as orders not to get up too quickly. Luckily, I'm sure she didn't actually mean for you to follow that one, so you're fine." Severus looked up in shock at the slight sarcasm in Lupin's voice and took the pro-offered potion without a word. "I spent seven years with James Potter and Sirius Black as my best friends. You think I didn't pick up at least a slight sense of humour? Not to mention sarcasm, because it was the easiest way to get one up on Sirius," Lupin said.

"Yes, well, I never thought he'd be very good at comprehending anything requiring anything more than a basic intelligence," Severus drawled, pleasantly surprised that Lupin's self-deprecating humour extended to his childhood friends.

"Oh he was, if you gave him the right motivation," Lupin said. "Food, girls, me doing his homework for him, all good motivators. Anything McGonagall tried always seemed to fail. I think he just hated doing anything for her, to be honest." Lupin looked lost in memory for a moment but then his gaze fell on Severus' arm. "I can't believe it's really gone. You must be so happy, Severus, to finally be free of that."

Severus glanced down at his arm, inspecting the site where his Dark Mark once sat. It was irritated and red but there was definitely no tattoo, faded or not. "That Mark was the reminder of the biggest mistake of my life, Lupin. And the continual reminder that my best friend died without ever knowing that I…" Severus faded off, put off by the what he'd almost revealed.

"Loved her, Severus? It was obvious, you know. Probably what made James so cruel over the years; the knowledge that he couldn't have what you and Lily shared drove him crazy. She spent many hours with me, debating between the two of you. For the whole of Fifth year, I thought she'd do the crazy thing and pick you. I thought she'd say 'screw it' and pick you, no matter how the rest of Gryffindor would have reacted. But then, at the start of Sixth year, and after that incident…" Lupin paused and Severus desperately tried to control his reaction to the mentioned memory. "She picked James. Said that he was more stable and that he'd protect her, even if she didn't fit into his world. And she didn't, Severus. She never told anyone but me, but she hated the society part of marrying into a Pureblood family like the Potters. Hated the idea that her son would grow up with airs, much like the younger Malfoy. That he would grow up listening to a bunch of Gryffindors sitting around talking about how Slytherins were the scum of the Earth. She had the same fear I did when we were around James; that one day, that tolerance that he only granted us, would run out and we'd be run out of his life and declared not good enough." Lupin sighed. Severus was on edge, trembling slight at the knowledge that he'd never been given before. "Their relationship wasn't perfect, and I think, some days, she wondered what it would have been like if she'd made you turn back from the Dark. She would have been amazed and ecstatic for you today. You really have been given a second chance," Lupin finished, looking sheepish.

"Do I hear an unspoken, don't mess it up this time, Lupin?" Severus asked, trying not to growl.

"Actually, it was more like I'm glad that it's happened now, when you can take Harry in and give him the second chance he needed." Lupin paused and Severus could see him chewing over something. "And I was hoping that you would be willing to give me a second chance. If things had been different; if I hadn't been such a cowardly shite; if I had killed Sirius for pulling that stunt and almost getting you killed; I like to think that we could have been friends. Both top of our year, competing only with Lily; both with something to hide, though I never did find out your secret; both good with animals. Lily told me quite a few times that she thought we'd get along if we tried. So, I'm asking you to try – for Harry's sake?"

Severus bit back his instantaneous reaction, the instinctive 'no.' Lupin had proven himself to be fairly alright company, showing sarcasm and intelligence that made Severus wonder how he'd survived friendship with the Marauders. He was also one of the few people who was also friends with Lily and the part of Severus that missed her so much would like that in a friend. Severus softened his instinctual scowl and nodded carefully at Lupin. "That would be acceptable, I guess."

"Well, I suppose that's better than a 'get the hell out of my house,'" Lupin laughed. "So, are you ready to attempt a trip downstairs? Poppy gave me the impression that I would need to help you get around for a while."

"I will be fine, thank you very much," Severus snapped, annoyed at the implication; and the toll that staying on his feet was taking. He tried not to sway as he stepped towards Lupin and his dressing gown hanging on the back of his bedroom door. "Did you think about my offer, Lupin? It may not have been very sincere at the time, but moving in here would be most convenient for the both of us."

"I did think about it, yes. Didn't think you were serious but I've never really known what to think when it comes to you, Severus. And yes, I would like to. I'm starting to seriously hate the city and I don't think Harry trusted me much last night when I had to send him back to bed. I'd like to change that," Lupin said. Severus turned to him sharply, ignoring the dressing gown the man held out.

"Harry woke up? Why didn't you tell me?" Severus snarled.

"I am, right now. He's not awake yet but he woke up at about one. Just after the worst of it. I sent him back to bed because we hadn't managed to clean your arm, or your sheets, and you looked a fright, Severus. If I'd let him in, he would have thought you were dead or dying, and according to Poppy, you were already out of the worst of it. I checked on him an hour later and he was fast asleep. And no, before you ask, he wasn't faking," Lupin finished when Severus opened his mouth to interrupt.

Severus gave Lupin a hard look, grinding his teeth. "He's worried, Lupin. He worries all the time, and the incident in the dungeons set him back. Thank you for not letting him see me like that. Next time, tell me the minute I wake up."

"Kind of hoping that there won't be a next time, Severus. It was kind of scary seeing you like that last night," Lupin said with a nervous laugh. When Severus scowled at him, he added, "Straight away next time, no matter how incoherent you are."

Severus smirked at the fast reaction and then felt the blood drain from his face as a rush of dizziness ran over him. Lupin reached out a hand and steadied him, letting Severus sway into him. Severus looked around, deciding where he was going to put Lupin while he lived with them.

"Anyway, Lupin, welcome. Your room is to the left on the far wall. The bathroom is the door directly facing the stairs. Once you're settled in, I'll give you the rest of the tour," Severus said, rather pleasantly considering the circumstances.

"How about we hold off on tours until you can walk straight? I'm sure I figure it out as I go along," Lupin laughed. "Now, breakfast?"

Severus nodded, leaning a little bit on Lupin as they moved through the hallway and down the stairs. "You'll have to furnish the room to your liking. It used to be the house-elves room but they prefer the loft over the barn. I'll give you some money for the furniture and decoration," Severus said.

"Please, Severus, I can furnish it myself. And I'll help with the costs for food, as well," Lupin protested.

"Do you even have a job, Lupin?" Severus drawled.

"Um, not at the moment. While I was in the city I managed to hold down a part time job every now and then but being sick all the time kind of stopped me from keeping the job," Lupin said sheepishly as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"In that case, I believe that the more financially secure of the two of us shall foot the expenses. I need someone to help me look after Harry and to keep the farm intact while we're at school. That will be enough, for now."

Later that afternoon, after Theodore had gone home and Narcissa had come to pick up her dose of potion, Severus helped Harry tack up and led him out onto the moor for a trail ride. Harry was confident enough in his seat now to pick up a trot so they trotted for a while before slowing to a walk and settling into the stride.

"Dad, how come I never get better?" Harry asked after they'd rode in silence for a while.

Severus looked over at Harry, discerning exactly what he meant. "You don't mean at riding, do you?"

"No," Harry drew out. "I think I'm getting better and that I'm not going to be as anxious and as crazy and all of a sudden, I feel like I'm back in my first weeks at Hogwarts. It's not cool, Dad."

"No, I'm sure it's not. I cannot give you the answer you're looking for Harry. I can't tell you when you'll stop feeling anxious or when you'll feel stable and safe all the time. There isn't a date set in the future that I can say, you'll be better by then. And you will have setbacks, especially if something particularly stressful happens. You just need to keep focusing on the good moments, and what makes them good moments, and trying not to let the bad moments affect you as much. And whenever you feel like you can't handle the bad moments, you need to remember that we're here for you, no matter how out of sorts you feel. Having Lupin here will mean you'll have even more people around to help you, and I'm sure Theodore showed his concern while he was here," Severus answered.

"I know that I'm meant to be talking to them, but even when I do feel like talking, I keep losing focus and drifting off. Even when I try to study, I can't focus for long. That's never happened before," Harry said.

"That's a common side effect of stress, Harry. You lose your attention span," Severus said. "If you want, we could work on some mediation, which will probably help with your attention span. However, if this is really distressing you, then I recommend talking to Josephine. Even if you don't have a formal session, she might have some ideas," Severus suggested. He understood Harry's reluctance to formally go into to therapy but wished that he could help Harry feel better.

"Maybe. After my birthday?" Harry said.

"I'll ask her to keep some time open for us. In the meantime, I have some news for you," Severus said, moving onto a different topic.

"What?" Harry asked eagerly.

"The project that I was working on, that was keeping me from performing the blood adoption, has been completed. Which means that we can perform the blood adoption in the next week or two. I was thinking that the week before your birthday would be the best date," Severus suggested.

"So soon?" Harry asked. Severus nodded, smiling at Harry's eager smile. "Will it hurt?"

Severus glanced at Harry, surprised at the calm in the question. "All the research Narcissa has done leads me to believe that if it is painful, it will only be so for me. The ritual was created as an adoption method for step-parents and the only person who deserves to be tested in that instance would be the new parent. So it may hurt for me, but Narcissa is more concerned about the acceptance clause enforced by the ritual. Both parties, so you and I, have to be absolutely sure of their decision, otherwise the ritual will fail." Severus saw Harry's doubts flash across his face. "However, I believe that, even if we fail this time, there will be nothing to prevent us from trying again at a later time."

"So even if it fails, we can try again some other time? Like before school starts? And I don't want you to be hurt either," Harry asked uncertainly.

"I don't believe that trying before school would be wise if it did fail. If it does fail, we can afford to wait a little longer, perhaps until you are feeling more secure in our situation. We could feasibly wait until the end of the school year without too much harm. And a little pain is worth the benefits, Harry," Severus answered. He ignored the anxious look on Harry's face.

"So if it fails, it doesn't mean we're not meant to be family," Harry asked slowly after a quiet moment.

"I'm framing that adoption certificate and putting it on your bedside table, Harry," Severus groused good naturedly. "Of course it doesn't mean that we aren't meant to be family, Harry. It means that we are both still adjusting to being a family and that one or both of us are still figuring it out. And that's fine," Severus said, making sure Harry looked at him.

"Okay, well, I want to try. Just, I don't think I'll get my hope up, it it's okay," Harry said nervously.

"That might be a good way to look at it, Harry. But it's okay if you want to hope." Harry nodded his head and smiled tentatively. "Enough talk. Do you want to learn how to canter?" Harry brightened and Severus prompted Harry to follow him into a trot. Harry's laugh as Mickey tossed his head and rushed to keep up stopped Severus from telling him to hold Mickey up.

Harry's delighted laughter caught Severus' attention as he walked upstairs at the farmhouse later. Lupin and Harry were playing Exploding Snap and Harry was slightly overtired after three days of excitement. His loud and slightly out of place reaction reminded Severus that he intended on giving Harry a Dreamless Sleep potion when he went to bed that night.

A loud 'bang' signified the end of the game and Severus heard Lupin telling Harry that it was about time that Harry started getting ready for bed. Harry didn't start complaining and Severus knew that that meant Harry really was significantly tired. He was pleasantly surprised when Harry came up and hugged him, murmuring a quiet goodnight. Severus gave Harry a quick squeeze, smiling down at him. Harry's shy and slightly awkward wave in Lupin's direction reminded Severus that while their small family was about to become concrete, it also seemed that Harry thought it was getting bigger too. He tried not to growl internally, but lost the battle. Like Harry's anxiety, it seemed that his ill-will towards Lupin couldn't completely disappear just yet.

**Okay, so I used a reference that isn't in the same time as Harry Potter would be (I'm sorry, I am trying to keep it relevant to that time) but it's just so suitable for this story…**

****Oh and I formatted this chapter a bit differently (put some extra lines between paragraphs because I never noticed what does to my formatting) so tell me if it helped the readability any :)****


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so a short one today because I feel like I should be posting more often and I wrote most of this chapter tonight. Also, it seemed like the place to end that will make sure I start writing the next one tomorrow (It's 12am here otherwise I would have just kept going). Plus, checking Letters: The Year with the Stone, my first chapters were kind of shorter... These should get longer... I hope. Otherwise, I'll make sure to post more often. **

**As always, read, review and not my characters, just my sandbox. **

_Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place._

"Severus, if you don't stop pacing, I'm going to lace your coffee with Dreamless Sleep," Remus said as he watched Severus start another lap of the kitchen. Severus looked at him and scowled so Remus just shrugged and flicked his wand at the kettle to turn it on.

"Don't do that to the electronics, they stop working normally," Severus growled without pausing.

"Huh, I did not know that. No wonder my things always broke. Why did you choose to have a combination? And do you keep it all working?" Remus asked.

"By not using magic on it," Severus snapped. He stopped stalking from one end of the kitchen to the other with a snap of the robe he still wore. "What are you doing, Lupin? Go to bed and leave me alone, if it bothers you so much?"

Remus didn't bother answering the question, guessing that any answer would be the wrong answer. Severus snarled and went back to pacing, pushing at his sleeves in sharp, agitated movements. Remus rolled his eyes and leant back in the chair, ignoring the angry stare that was being sent his way. Instead, Remus choose to walk over to the coffee tin and begin dishing out coffee into two mugs. When the kettle boiled, he poured the hot water into the mugs, leaving space for milk in the top of his mug. Lupin held out Severus' mug, making sure that he didn't spill it as he took it out of his hand while pacing.

"Thank you," Severus said stiffly. He sipped at the coffee, his face relaxing slightly.

"Sit, Severus. Wearing yourself out is not going to help you or Harry come morning." Remus gently took Severus' arm and tugged him towards the kitchen table. Severus resisted for a moment, glaring at Remus, then let himself be led over to the table. Severus' gaze fixed on Remus and, feeling the magic in the room rise, Remus met his eyes. The rush of Legilimency made Remus' nose twitch but he carefully let Severus past his shield. He felt Severus' surprise that he had shields at all and then felt Severus examining his intentions. Remus let Severus explore, turning him back when he wandered toward things he wasn't allowed to know.

"Secrets, Lupin?" Remus heard Severus' voice echo in his mind and twitched.

"Merely asking you to respect my privacy, Severus," Remus replied, deliberate lightness in his tone. Severus didn't answer but his search seemed to gain purpose. Remus saw the direction that Severus was taking and sent the right memory forward. It was the memory of hearing Harry call Severus "Dad" for the first time. Remus' shock was apparent but he was surprised to realise that it had hidden mild discontent as well. Severus withdrew harshly with the mental equivalent of a disgusted snarl.

"You're drawing conclusions from one memory, Severus. One moment, even," Remus protested.

"What does it matter, Lupin? You weren't happy about it," Severus sneered.

"I was jealous, you damn fool!" Remus growled. "I've been hearing from Harry how much you've bonded and I was jealous! He's still my best friend's son; and nobody even considered letting me raise him. Because I'm a werewolf. Not because they have proof that I'm incompetent but because I'm dangerous. Even when I'm careful, I still end up hurting the people I love." Remus growled in frustration and turned away, struggling to control his emotions. "He never would have been at the Dursleys if they let me raise him. He wouldn't be eleven years old and asking me about his parents because he knows nothing about them. He'd have grown up knowing about them, with family and kids his own age to play with. Instead he grew up in that hellhole and I was never able to even provide him a safe place to stay because I'm dangerous. Damn it, Severus, I am so happy for the both of you, why can't you just trust me?" Remus pleaded. The hand on his shoulder was unexpected, as well as the gentle squeeze it gave.

"Breathe, Lupin." Remus clenched his fists and inhaled deeply. He turned to Severus with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, Severus." The unfathomable dark eyes met his steadily, no trace of magic in them now. "I'm sure you didn't need that."

"Does Harry tell you everything I tell him?" Severus asked. Remus frowned, wondering where he was going with it. "I tell him not to be ashamed of emotion." Remus laughed, amused at the symmetry. Severus smirked at him and Remus relaxed enough to step over to his chair and slump into it. "Who did you hurt?"

Remus looked up in shock as Severus sat down, debating whether or not to answer. Severus raised his eyebrows, giving him the look that Remus was sure had intimidated many a Hogwarts student. "Not going to work on me, Severus. I've taken precautions to make sure it never happens again but it did happen. And I'm keeping it to myself for now. Ask me again after a few shots of whiskey."

"Is Harry in danger if I don't know?" Severus asked sternly.

"No. He would never do what the person who got hurt did. But I intend on telling him. Soon. So that he knows why he has to be careful." Remus paused as the memories of that horrible night came back. "I thought the worst full moon of life was the night Sirius sent you after me and then, just when I thought nothing like that would happen again, something even worse happened."

Severus POV

Severus walked into the kitchen that morning after finishing the potion they'd need for the ritual to see Minerva, Harry, Lupin and Narcissa crowded around his kitchen table. He nodded a hello to Minerva and held out the potion vial to Narcissa for her to check. She studied it, uncapping the vial and sniffing it briefly, before nodding.

"This will do," she said smugly. Severus scowled at her, but took the potion back all the same. "Since we don't have to make this official with anyone, who are we waiting on?"

"Albus said he would attempt to be here – he's dealing with more Ministry problems. And of course, Poppy wanted to be here just in case," Minerva replied.

"Don't trust me, Severus?" Narcissa asked, raising her eyebrows with a smirk.

"Don't trust any magic I haven't even seen done before, Narcissa. Especially when I have been told that it is the type of magic which likes to test it participants," Severus drawled as he took a coffee cup from Lupin. He took a sip and almost spat it back out in disgust. "What on Earth do you call this, Lupin?" He snarled.

"Decaf," Lupin answered mildly from where he'd returned to his game of Muggle Snap with Harry. "After all the coffee you had last night, I'm expecting you'll crash at some point and I would hate for you to get over tired." Lupin paused, then muttered under his breath, "You're grumpy enough as it is."

Severus scowled as Harry giggled. He tipped the cup down the sink in disgust, reaching for the real coffee. The Stinging Hex that hit his knuckles was most definitely Minerva's work and he turned to glare at her. "Remus has a point, Severus. You look exhausted and you're about to perform a relatively unknown ritual. Surely you can see his logic," She explained gently.

Severus glared for a moment and then sat with an unhappy sigh in one of the free seats at the table. "I barely tolerate Minerva's mothering, Lupin. If you keep this up, I'll have to ask you to vacate the premises." Severus gave him a glare when he looked up.

"No, Dad, please. It's fun with Uncle Remus here. And he gives me books," Harry said. Severus raised his eyebrows at Harry.

"Yes, and if he keeps giving you books, you'll have nowhere to sleep in your room. Then where will you sleep?" He drawled.

"I could put the books in the library. On the shelves you cleared off for my books last week. You didn't tell me I could put my books there but every time I've left my book in the library, you've put it up on those shelves." Harry smiled at him triumphantly and Severus couldn't resist giving him a proud grin. Severus had left the shelf empty expect for Harry's regularly lost books to see if Harry would have the courage to start moving his things into what he deemed as Severus' space. Apparently, he hadn't underestimated his Slytherin son.

"And imagine, with parents like yours, I could have sworn you wouldn't be subtle enough to figure that out," Severus said as he stood, hearing the Floo alarm chime. He ruffled Harry's hair as he passed, ignoring the whine when he did it.

"Good morning, Poppy," Severus greeted as she spelled her robes clear of soot. "How are you this morning?"

"By the looks of it, twenty times better than you. How many times am I going to have to tell you to look after yourself before you listen?" Poppy said, bustling forward.

"At least once more, Madame," Severus said with a smirk. He offered her his arm but she brushed him off with a matronly scowl and went through to the kitchen. Severus followed behind her, noticing that Harry had tensed at her arrival. He went to stand behind Harry and gave his shoulder a quick squeeze for reassurance. Harry looked up and smiled but when Narcissa stood, he turned his head towards her.

"I have to teach you both a phrase that you have to say while I'm doing the ritual. It's Latin, so you should find the pronunciation hard, but all you really need to do is keep repeating it. Preferably in time with each other." Severus and Harry nodded at the same time and Severus made a 'go on' gesture.

"It's non caro et sanguis, sed cor quae facit patrum ad filios," She said, saying it smoothly.

"What does it mean?" Harry asked.

"I'll tell you later," Narcissa said with a smile. "For now, repeat it after me. Non caro et sanguis, sed cor quae facit patrum ad filios."

Severus and Harry repeated it, Harry stumbling over the unfamiliar pronunciation. Narcissa's eyebrows drew together but Lupin leant forward and began to quickly teach Harry how to pronounce each separate word. Harry tried again and sounded close enough to the right pronunciation that Narcissa nodded. "Alright, now where am I drawing this circle?" Severus beckoned for her to follow him, showing her the cleared space in the library. She drew a pouch from her robes and began spreading a circle of orange dust big enough for both Severus and Harry to stand in. Severus gestured for Harry to come over and tried not to flinch as Narcissa drew what he assumed was a pentagram on his forehead. Harry let Narcissa do it, though he noticed Harry tense as though trying to stop himself flinching away. The other adults found places to sit around the room, Poppy keeping her wand in her hand.

"Now, step into the circle," Narcissa directed. Severus lifted his robes to make sure they didn't smudge the circle that was meant to act as protection during the ritual. Narcissa had brought out an ornate crystal goblet and was tipping the potion into it. When she turned to Severus with a small ceremonial dagger in her hand, he held out his hand. He kept his face blank as she drew it across his palm. He held the hand over the goblet and let his blood drip into it, doing as Narcissa had directed him the day before. Harry copied him, wincing as the knife cut his skin. Once a few drops of Harry's blood had dropped into the cup, Severus clasped hands with him, using the hands that had been cut. Narcissa started the ritual, calling each element into the magic in Latin. She nodded to Severus and he began to chant the phrase that she'd given them, making sure that Harry would catch up and stay with him. A pins and needles type of feeling started at their joined hands and began travelling up his arm as Narcissa chanted, becoming vaguely painful as it reached his torso.

Severus focused on Harry's eyes, watching for any signs that he felt the same kind of feeling but Harry's eyes were clear and determined. Severus almost gasped as the pain intensified suddenly but focused on pronouncing the chant correctly to ward it off. Narcissa had already warned him that if he used Occlumency during the ritual, it would cause it to be rejected. With that in mind, he noticed thin tendrils of light weaving itself around their bound hands, snaking up towards their bodies.

Harry POV

Harry watched the light moving up his arm, trying to focus on the chant that he'd been given instead of the warm feeling that was moving up his arm. He didn't know exactly what it was meant to feel like but to him it felt like when Severus hugged him – safe and warm and protective. To Harry it almost seemed as though it was happy with what he'd thought because it started moving faster until it was flowing over his shoulder and wrapping around his chest. He darted his eyes down to look at it and then met Severus' eyes again, worried about the flash of pain that he'd seen in Severus' eyes. He hadn't been happy when Severus had told him that the ritual might hurt Severus and he tried to communicate that with the light around him. Severus didn't need to be hurt. He'd proved that he wanted Harry as a son. Harry felt something in the light seem to perk up and he shoved his thoughts toward, wondering if it could actually hear him. He saw Severus' shoulders stiffen and then relax and he smiled inside. Apparently it could.

The light seemed to wrap really tightly around them both and then dissolve outwards. Aunt Cissy quietly said, "So mote it be," before Harry felt dizziness rush over him. He fell backwards, looking for the ground to sit on, and felt Severus pull Harry into his chest and lift him.

"Dizzy," Harry breathed as his Dad carried him over to Poppy. The last thing he saw before the edges of his vision blacked was Poppy raising her wand.

**So, um, cliffhanger... Sorry about that :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**THIS IS A REPOST OF CHAPTER FIVE. NONE OF THE ACTUAL CHAPTER HAS CHANGED, JUST HAD TO EDIT THE AUTHORS NOTE - 9 JUNE 2012.  
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**Here is the long and very patiently awaited Chapter Five. Sorry about the delay, it is a long chapter but mostly RL is just getting in the way of my slow trickle of inspiration at the moment. **

**ATTENTION: I have been informed that offering competitions in the actual story is against the terms and conditions of this website, so I'm moving the competition details to my profile page. For those who hadn't read the chapter by 9 June 2012, I am offering a competition on my profile page for creating cover images for one of the two Letters stories. **

**As always, read, enjoy, review? :)  
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Harry woke slowly, wincing as his hand twinged. He fumbled for his glasses and put them on, confused when his vision didn't completely clear. He looked over to see a bandage covering almost his entire hand. He frowned, wondering why Madame Pomfrey hadn't healed it then propped himself up to look around the room. The windows were curtained but Harry couldn't see light around them so he knew it was night time. He slid his feet out from under the covers, placing his feet on the floor and throwing his blankets off.

His desk chair was next to his bed but when he used it to steady himself, Harry could feel that it was cold. He scrubbed his hand across his eyes to wake himself up and walked over to the door, opening it slowly. The quiet of the house said that it was late and that everyone was probably asleep so he crept over to the bathroom to relieve himself. He spotted the clock in the hallway, the big one on the wall that didn't really fit with the farmhouse but somehow looked right. He was surprised to see that it was 11.30pm and that his twelfth birthday was only half an hour away.

He crept back to his room, flicking his bedside table lamp on as he passed. He mentally checked himself mentally to make sure that he didn't feel any different after the ritual. He was surprised that he could feel more of his magic than usual. Nobody had mentioned feeling more powerful than before.

He pulled his current book from it's place under his pillow, ready to settle down into the world of Shasta and Bree in The Horse and His Boy. Remus had given him the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician's Nephew, on the last day of term and Harry had loved it so much that Severus had bought him the rest of them. Harry hadn't told Severus but he'd made a tradition out of staying up until midnight on the day before his birthday, so that he could watch the clock turn over to 12:00am on his birthday. He lay down on his stomach, so that he could look up to the clock easily.

Severus POV

Severus heard movement in the hall and knew that it had come from Harry's room. He stayed where he was, listening for any sounds that would indicate that Harry was suffering from after-effects of the potion. Harry's steps were slow but steady and he only sounded as though he was avoiding making too much noise. Severus went back to his research journal, checking a fact in the potions text he had next to him. He watched for the light under the door to disappear, and when it didn't, stood up to pull his door open slightly. Harry usually read for a little while after getting up in the middle of the night and Severus expected that he'd fall back asleep soon. He returned to his article, scoffing at the ignorant assumptions that the writer was making.

He looked up twenty minutes later and realised that Harry hadn't turned his light off and gone back to sleep. Severus stood up, picking up his robe and wrapping it round himself. He crossed the hallway and eased Harry's door open. Harry's inquisitive eyes looked up and Severus frowned to see him lying on top of his covers.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Severus asked quietly.

"Yep," Harry answered. "I mean, yes," Harry amended when Severus raised his eyebrow.

"Then why are you sitting up at a quarter to twelve at night?" Severus asked, holding his hand out for Harry's book. He placed a bookmark in Harry's place and then put the book on his bedside table.

"'Cause it's my birthday tomorrow. Actually, it's my birthday in ten minutes," Harry said as he glanced at the clock. He sat up and crossed his legs, glancing at the clock again.

"A little eager, Harry?" Severus said, sitting in Harry's desk chair. Harry smiled and nodded, bringing his knees up to his chest. "You know that we're having celebrations today, right? Lupin has it all planned out."

"I know," Harry said slowly. Severus could see his hesitation so he sat back, waiting for Harry to continue. After a moment, Harry said, "I always sit up for my birthday. Until midnight. Then I make a birthday wish and go to sleep." Harry paused, seeming uncertain. "It's usually the best part of my birthday."

Severus nodded understandingly but held up his finger to keep Harry quiet so that he could make a point. "I'm glad that you have a tradition. Tradition create stability and make you feel as though any place can be home, as long as you keep them up. However, Lupin has made many plans for tomorrow, all of which I'm sure you are going to enjoy immensely. And to truly enjoy these plans, you need to get as much sleep as you can possibly get tonight."

Harry turned on a puppy-dog look that made Severus raise an eyebrow at him. "I know that tomorrow's going to be really long if I don't get enough sleep but I can't sleep, Dad. I've slept all day," Harry pointed out. Severus maintained his raised eyebrow look, glancing pointedly between the clock and his stubborn son. "Please, Dad..."

Severus frowned, looking at the clock again. 11:55pm. Harry asking for things was still new enough that he thought that this would be an okay situation to let him have what he wanted. "Fine," Severus said slowly. Harry smiled and bounced with happiness. "But," Severus said, holding up his hand to forestall Harry's thanks, "You have to go to bed by 12.30am and you're not allowed out of bed until after 8am so that you've had enough rest for the day. Theodore, Marcus and Neville aren't arriving until 9am and Rachael has said that she's picking Hermione up before coming at 9.30am. Draco and the Weasley twins have Owled to say that they will be here by 10am. So you can afford to sleep until 8am – Lupin will no doubt wake you with presents when it's time to get up."

"Yes, Dad. I promise, I'll go to sleep really soon," Harry said quickly. He was looking at the clock, probably counting down the seconds. Severus stood up, walking to Harry's door. When he reached it, he glanced back for a second. Harry had looked from the clock over to Severus and Severus could see that his expression had dropped.

"Would you like me to stay, Harry?" Severus asked quietly. Harry looked at the clock again and then back to Severus, nodding. Severus walked back over to the chair and sat back in it, smiling when Harry moved back on his bed and looked up expectantly. Severus moved over so that he was sitting across Harry's bed with his back on the wall along it's side. Harry shifted so that he was sitting under Severus' open arm and watched the clock. When it clicked over to 12:00, Harry squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath for a moment. Severus heard a tap on the window and looked up. Harry's snowy owl, Hedwig, was tapping at the window. A quick flick of his wand opened the window and let the large owl in. She was carrying a letter and a parcel and dropped it on the bed next to them. A school owl and a tired looking brown owl came through after her. The school owl dropped its parcel and the brown owl dropped, exhausted, onto the bed.

"Good evening, Errol," Severus greeted the Weasley family's owl. It chirruped tiredly and stuck out its leg. Severus pulled the parcel off and handed it to Harry, smiling at his shocked expression.

"I've got presents?" Harry said slowly. Severus raised an eyebrow and nodded at his shocked expression.

"Of course you do. And you'll have more later," Severus said, handing Harry the letters that came with his presents. "One of these is from Hagrid, the other is from Molly Weasley, and it appears that Hedwig has bought you a gift from Professor McGonagall." Harry took the letters, splitting open the envelope on the first letter. He read each of them silently, handing them off to Severus to read after he was finished. Hagrid's contained mention of the things that were happening on Hogwarts grounds during the holidays, merely trivial information to cheer Harry up. Molly Weasley's included a promise to deliver Harry's birthday cake when she dropped Fred and George off as well as an invitation to spend the last week of the holidays with the Weasleys and to take the yearly trip to Diagon Alley with them. Severus made a mental note to thank her for the invitation when she brought the twins. Minerva's included greetings to both of them and a promise to visit after she returned from her daughter's later that week.

"Cool," Severus heard Harry breathe, making him look up from Minerva's letter. He smiled at the sight of the very same book that Minerva had once gifted him – _Mythical Animagi of the Ages_. Minerva had hoped that it would spark an interest in becoming an Animagi in Severus but her ploy had failed. Seeing Harry's interested expression, Severus thought that Minerva might have finally found her prodigy. He looked at the other present that Harry had unwrapped and silently thought to scold Hagrid for his choice of books. The book was titled _Misunderstood Dangerous Creatures _and the cover had a dragon pictured on it. Harry was opening the box that Molly Weasley had sent and Severus could see that it held a coconut topped slice.

"I'll put that in the fridge for you," Severus said as he held out his hand for the box. Harry nodded and passed it over after pulling it up slightly at the corner to see what kind of slice it was.

"We can share it later," Harry said. "When everyone's here."

"We can. Or can save it for desserts for the next few days. The way Mrs Weasley makes her slices will keep it going bad for a few days longer than normal."

"Nah, that's okay. I want to share it," Harry said. Severus nodded and smiled. He stood up, picking up Errol so that he was carrying both Errol and the slice. "I'm going to take Errol to our owl perch so that he can recuperate. And you, my son, should go to sleep. You'll have a big day today." Harry nodded and put his presents on his bedside table but Severus saw him place his book next to his pillow. "No reading, Harry. It's too late."

Harry gave him a puppy-dog look but relented when Severus raised an eyebrow. "Okay, Dad. Thanks for letting me stay up tonight."

"You don't have to thank me for that, Harry," Severus said quietly. "And from now on, I'll wait up with you. You shouldn't be alone for this."

Harry smiled down at his lap and nodded. "Thanks Dad."

"Goodnight, Harry," Severus said, carrying Errol out of the room and down the stairs. He saw Lupin standing in his doorway, his sleepy look showing that he hadn't been there for long.

"Anything wrong?" Lupin asked, rubbing at his eyes.

"No, just fulfilling a tradition," Severus said quietly. Lupin smiled and nodded.

"James used to do that for us. He'd wait up until 12am and then wake us up with a happy birthday. He'd give us a present and a Butterbeer that he'd crept out to Hogsmeade to get. Never missed it, even when he was fighting with Sirius and they weren't talking. Granted, I'm pretty sure the happy birthday was implied, but the extended Butterbeer certainly smoothed things over between them." Lupin smiled sleepily. "He tried to do it to Lily too, but the wards on the female dorms kept him from doing it. In seventh year, he got about thirty pillows thrown at him when he yelled up the stairs for her. She let him do it for Harry, I think."

Severus frowned at the reminder of his former schoolyard nemesis but realised that for Lupin, they were the only thing he had left. "Pretty memories, Lupin. Out of curiosity, are you planning Harry's birthday the way James would have planned it, or based on Harry?" Severus knew the question was petty but he had to ask.

"Based on Harry, of course. James would have had a Quidditch themed spectacular as a birthday party, not a Muggle movie and a camp-out. He would have had Harry so into Quidditch that there wouldn't have been any other options," Lupin said with a laugh. "To be honest, I'm glad that Harry turned out so much like Lily. It's a lot easier to relate to a child who wants books for his birthday than one who only reads Quidditch magazines."

"As long as he does not become so engrossed with books that he forgets there is a real world out there," Severus drawled.

"Not with friends like Teddy and Draco, I'm sure," Lupin said with a small laugh. "Teddy seems determined to single-handedly pull Harry completely out of his shell."

"He does, doesn't he?" Severus said with a smirk. Errol hooted again and Severus held him up as explanation. "I have to get Errol downstairs."

"Goodnight Severus," Lupin said with a nod.

Severus nodded in acknowledgement and took the stairs as quietly as possible, missing the second one down because it creaked. He crossed to the fridge and manoeuvred the slice onto the shelf, making a mental note that he needed to go grocery shopping, and shut the door. Errol had perked up slightly as he had opened the fridge but lay against his hands as he carried the exhausted owl into the laundry where the owl perch stood. The school owl and Hedwig were both there as well as Severus' barn owl, Baltimore. He held Errol up so that he could step onto the perch. Errol stepped over and then leaned to sip at the water. Hedwig drifted down to sit on Errol's perch, grooming him with her beak. Severus smiled at the Snowy Owl's friendliness and gave Baltimore a scratch before turning to leave the infirmary. Baltimore screeched and took off, alighting on Severus' shoulder. Resigned to carrying the bird upstairs, Severus latched the door onto it's keeper and walked back upstairs. The light under Harry's door was off, showing that he'd kept his promise and gone to sleep. Severus flicked his wand at his bed, clearing the books off and started to shrug his robe off. Baltimore drifted over to the perch that Severus kept in his room, ruffling his feathers at the disruption. Severus shook his head in dismissal and flicked his wand at the lights to turn them off.

Harry POV

Harry woke suddenly the next morning as his door opened. Remus peered around the opening door, smiling when he saw Harry's sleepy and confused look. "Morning, sleepyhead. It's a quarter past eight and your Dad thought I should wake you up." Harry smiled and sat up, watching Remus' blurry outline sit down in his desk chair, which Severus hadn't put back the night before.

"Where's Dad?" Harry asked, picking up his glasses. Once his vision adjusted, he saw that Remus held a wrapped parcel topped with a card.

"Downstairs, talking to Madame Pomfrey. He's coming up in a second, she just wants to check that you're both alright after yesterday. How do you feel?" Remus asked with a gentle smile.

"An excellent question, Mr Potter," Madame Pomfrey said as she entered Harry's room. He smiled and waved, noticing his Dad walk in behind her.

"Fine. I don't feel any different. Except, well," Harry paused and rubbed at his eyes, the difference in his vision annoying him. "My eyes are weird. My glasses aren't making them better. It's still blurry but not like it is when I don't have the right glasses. Like it's too strong," Harry mused out loud.

"Well, pass them over, Mr Potter, and I'll fix them," Madame Pomfrey said, holding her hand out. Harry passed his glasses over with another rub at his eyes, feeling the bandage around his hand scratch at his face. Severus sat next to him on the bed and took the bandage hand in his own hands. Harry hadn't noticed the clean white bandage around Severus' hand last night but there was definitely one there this morning. "Look up, please, Mr Potter." Harry looked up and flinched as Madame Pomfrey pointed her wand at his eyes. She then tapped the glasses with her wand and read the little numbers that popped up. She smiled and handed them over, gesturing for Harry to try them on. He slipped them back onto his nose, blinking to let his eyes adjust.

"Yep, they're good. What's wrong with my eyes?" Harry asked.

"Nothing unusual, Mr Potter. In fact, your vision has actually improved. Quite possibly, it was Severus' genes taking effect. Now that you have his blood, you have genes from Lily, James and Severus and it wouldn't be surprising if you showed some of Severus' genes from now on. Since Severus has, and Lily had, 20/20 vision, it's probably off-setting James' dismal eyesight. Of course, since you never had the right prescription growing up and you were kept in bad lighting for most of your childhood, you will probably never have perfect vision." Harry stopped taking the lecture in but he saw Remus and Severus nod in understanding.

"Should we keep an eye on Harry's eyes to make sure his prescription doesn't keep changing?" Severus asked.

"Yes and no. I would say that Harry should try to be aware of any changes in his vision but unless he notices the usual symptoms – headaches, sore eyes, squinting, difficulty reading or copying notes from the board – then I wouldn't worry about doing regular exams. Harry needs exams every year any way and if he notices any discomfit, I'm sure he'll tell us," Madame Pomfrey finished with a pointed look at Harry. He wrinkled his nose at her in disgust and Severus tapped him on the nose to remind him of his manners.

"Tell anyone if my eyes feel weird, no problems," Harry said. He held up his bandaged hand and asked, "Why didn't you just heal this yesterday, Madame?"

"Because it was part of the ritual that it had to heal on its own. Healing it with magic was seen as a lack of conviction and the ritual is known to fail when it was done," Severus explained softly. "Unfortunately, it will be a scar that you'll carry for your whole life." Severus' mouth turned down into a frown and Harry looked down at their bandaged hands.

"At least it's better than this one," Harry said, gesturing at his forehead and the lightning bolt scar there. Severus brushed Harry's fringe back from the scar, frowning at it.

"Yes, at least it's better than that one. But this one has meaning too, Harry. So don't hate it too much," Severus said softly, smoothing his thumb over it. Harry smiled carefully and shifted, knowing that Severus would pick up on his discomfit. "Perhaps, Lupin, it's time we moved onto nicer topics, since Harry has declared himself whole and happy?"

"Now that does sound like a splendid idea," Remus said with a smile. He held out the wrapped gift with a flourish. "Happy Birthday, Harry."

"Thank you, Remus," Harry said as he took the gift. He opened the card, smiling at the funny poem inside. He put the card on his bedside table, propping it open next to his pictures of Severus and his parents. He opened the wrapping carefully, trying not to rip it. The wrapping came away to reveal a copy of _The Black Stallion _and Harry smiled eagerly. "Awesome, thank you, Remus," Harry breathed.

"My pleasure, Harry. There's something else as well but I thought I'd save it for present time this evening," Remus said as he opened his arms to invite a hug. Harry hopped off the bed and hugged Remus, ignoring his nerves at the physical contact.

"You didn't have to get me presents, you're doing so much else," Harry said, shyly.

"What, and miss the happiness on your face? No way, kiddo," Remus said happily. Harry blushed and looked at Severus, noting the approval in his eyes. "Anyway, I believe that it's time for breakfast – you're going to need the energy and if you don't hurry, you'll never be ready by the time Teddy, Neville and Marcus get here." Harry's eyes widened as he realised that Remus was right.

"I've got to get ready!" Harry glanced back at his Dad before glancing at Madame Pomfrey. She smiled at him and turned to walk out of his room.

"How about breakfast first, Harry?" Remus asked. "You're welcome to join us, Poppy." Remus stood and took her arm in a gentlemanly way.

"That would be lovely, Remus, except I'm off to my niece's house and I'd rather be having breakfast there." These comments were softened with a smile and Remus nodded to her. Harry didn't see any more because they walked out of the room and Severus had caught hold of his elbow to stop him from following them.

"Dad?" Harry turned and asked.

"Happy Birthday, Harry. I've put all your presents with Lupin's for later. Do you really feel alright? There wasn't anything you left out of for Madame Pomfrey?" Severus asked.

"Nope, I feel almost exactly the same. Just my eyes." Harry paused. "Though Dad, did you feel the magic during the ritual? It almost felt like it could think and feel..."

Severus looked at him searchingly but shook his head. "I didn't feel anything more than what I expected to feel, Harry." Harry frowned, wondering if his Dad was going to say that he couldn't have felt that. "But if you did feel something like that, it was probably because the ritual is protective towards the child involved. You may have got more of the protective magic during the actual ritual. You have also proven to be rather sensitive to the magic of protective wards, which may mean you were simply more sensitive to the protective nature of the magic."

"Oh, ok," Harry said. "Is that bad?"

"No, of course not, Harry," Severus reassured him. "Every wizard is familiar to a certain type of magic – it's what makes us good at a certain subject." Severus reached out and tapped his finger on Harry's top lip, making him aware that he was biting them. "I always knew I had an affinity for Potions and Minerva has always had an affinity for Transfiguration. And you've seen how strong we both are in those subjects." Harry smiled because his Dad was right – his Dad was obviously really good at Potions. "Now, if I keep you any longer, Lupin will be up here to nanny us. Does breakfast sound good?"

Harry's stomach rumbled and Severus smirked as Harry giggled.

"Apparently so," Severus said as he stood up and brushed the front of his simple jeans and button down shirt. He gestured for Harry to walk in front of him so Harry quickly led the way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Lupin was busy dishing out three plates of pancakes and bacon. Harry frowned at the combination, giving Remus a questioning look.

"Don't look so doubtful about it, Harry. A little maple syrup and you'll be sold on the combination," Remus said, holding up the jug of maple syrup. "It's a Canadian tradition I picked up during my time in America. Very tasty and you'll never be able to eat normal pancakes again."

Harry shrugged and sat down in his seat, picking up his knife and fork. Severus was still watching Remus sceptically but he sat and accepted a plate. Harry took a bite, making sure to have bacon, pancake and syrup on his fork. As the sugary syrup hit his taste buds, he realised that Remus was right and that the combination was so much better than just pancakes. He enthusiastically cut another piece, making an 'mmm' sound that seemed to convince Severus to take his first bite. Remus smiled and sat down, digging into his food with enthusiasm.

"When did you go to America, Remus?" Harry asked between mouthfuls. Remus looked up and smiled.

"After my final year at Hogwarts, I spent two years in California with a cousin. I came back to Lily and James' wedding but spent most of my time over there. Voldemort extended his influence over the sea and I was working to garner support over there. My cousin has two children your age, twins. After," Remus paused, looking pained. "After your Mum and Dad died, I had to leave, get away. I went back to California and tried not to miss what I'd lost. I tried to see you a few times a year but Professor Dumbledore turned me away every time. When I realised that you were starting Hogwarts, I came back and stayed in the apartment my cousin owns in London. I was planning on doing something that I wouldn't recommend to make sure that I would get to see you. To force Professor Dumbledore to let me. But luckily, everything changed when you were Sorted into Slytherin," Remus finished with a smile. Harry noticed Severus smirk out of the corner of his eyes.

"Have you been back this year?" Severus asked, sipping his coffee and ignoring his still half-full plate.

"Over Christmas," Remus answered with a nod. "I make weekly contact with the children as well. We have a lot in common and they grew up with me as a mentor; I didn't want to leave all that behind without keeping a link."

"Don't you miss them?" Harry asked.

"Of course I do. Every day, really. But right now, they're just finishing their first year of school and from what I've been reading in their letters, their year went a lot more smoothly than theirs. Their Mum, my cousin Kate, is the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at their school and their god-mother is the Headmistress. The school's like their second home, so they haven't had to adjust to much at all. And Kate likes to remind me that I've spent the last ten years with them; I have a lot of time to make up with you," Remus said while giving Harry a teasing poke.

Harry giggled and wriggled away from him. "Maybe someday I'll get to meet them?"

"I hope so, kiddo. Damien and Sheridan are some of the best kids I know and I think you'd really like them." Remus stood up and took both their plates, as Harry had finished eating while Remus was talking.

"Interesting names. Damien is French, it means 'the one who tames' while Sheridan is Irish and means 'untamed.' Two twins, literally named as opposite personalities. Any chance it manifests?" Severus said, still sipping at his coffee.

Remus looked over at him after placing the dishes on the sink with a thoughtful frown. "Actually, it does. Damien is the grounding twin while Sheri; well, she's the wild one, no doubt. She drags them both into as much trouble as possible. There's another reason that it's interesting but it's not really the right time to talk about that." Harry gave him a curious look but Remus just smiled. "Another time, I promise, Harry."

Harry frowned and was about to insist but the Floo flared. Harry looked up as Teddy, Neville and Marcus stepped through the Floo. "Harry!" Teddy called jubilantly, rushing forward. Harry rushed to meet them, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Teddy grinned at him and hugged him, making it quick because he knew that Harry wasn't always okay with it.

"Hey Teddy, Neville, Marcus. Happy birthday, Neville!" Harry greeted them. "Did you have a good day?"

"Yeah, it was good. My Gran and I went to a nursery near our home and she's helping me to replant our backyard because of how high my Herbology scores were. They're really proud of me. We had a nice dinner too," Neville said. "I didn't want to do anything big because we were all coming here today anyway."

"Yeah I know, that's why I asked Remus to put both our names on the invitations," Harry told Neville with a grin, hoping the shy boy wouldn't mind.

"Thanks, Harry. You didn't have to do that," Neville said, blushing slightly.

"I know I didn't. I wanted to," Harry said, realising after he said it that he was repeating something that Teddy said to him a lot.

"Now where have I heard that before?" Teddy mused out loud. He mimicked a shocked expression and slowly pointed to his chest. "Oh that's right..."

Harry laughed and gave him a playful shove, shaking his head at him. "Oh shut up, Teddy."

"You know, I don't know much about Muggle fashion – I mean, Rachael had to help me pick what to wear today – but surely you're not wearing that to London, Harry?" Marcus asked, gesturing at the pyjamas that Harry hadn't changed out of yet. Harry looked down, realising what Marcus was talking about.

"Oh, no, I'm not. I'm running a little late," Harry said with a sheepish smile.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go shower!" Teddy said, pushing him towards the stairs. "Hey Professor, Mr Lupin. Harry's going to go shower now, so he's not still wearing his PJs when the girls turn up." Harry let himself be prodded upstairs by his over-eager best friend, catching sight of Remus' smile as climbed the stairs. Trixie was at the top of the stairs and she smiled when Teddy and Harry both cried her name enthusiastically. Trixie held out a pile of clothes which Harry recognised as the clothes that he'd picked for today.

"Thanks Trixie," Harry said as he took the clothes from her. "You guys wait in my room, okay?" Harry asked the boys.

"Well we certainly aren't joining you in there, Harry," Marcus pointed out. Harry poked his tongue out at him and darted to the bathroom.

Harry, Teddy, Neville and Marcus were lounging in the sitting room half and hour later when the Floo flared again and Draco and Narcissa stepped through. The boys rose to their feet respectively to greet Narcissa.

"Good morning, Aunt Cissy," Harry greeted her. "Morning, Draco," he said more casually to the blond boy.

"Good morning, Harry. Is your Dad around?" Narcissa asked, smiling at all the boys.

"In the kitchen. Having his third coffee, I think." Narcissa laughed and then shook her finger at him in a fake scold.

"Don't cheek your father. Especially not before he's had his fifth cup of coffee," Narcissa said as she walked into the kitchen. Harry heard Severus growl an answer at her and the boys all shared a look.

"How's your holidays been, Draco?" Harry offered the olive branch, knowing that Draco didn't get on with any of the other boys there.

"Good, thank you. Mother and I spent a couple of weeks in the south of France, catching up with relatives," Draco shrugged. "At least it wasn't boring."

"We have relatives in the south of France. What part?" Marcus said, stepping forward to face Draco straight on. Harry smiled at him in thanks and motioned for everyone to sit down. Neville and Teddy returned to their discussion about the stats of the national Quidditch team. Harry had been talking with Marcus about his Defence assignment but was happy to sit back and try to follow the Quidditch conversation. From his seat he could see Severus and Narcissa talking at the table while Remus was carrying a jug of lemonade towards them. Trixie was following behind him carrying a tray of glasses. She handed the glasses out to each of the boys and Remus filled them when they held them out.

Remus sat down next to Harry, resting his head back against the couch. Harry frowned, noticing that Remus looked very tired. "Are you okay, Remus? You seem really tired."

"Wha-? Oh yeah, I'm fine, Harry. Just getting over a little bug." Remus sighed and rubbed a hand across his eyes. "Feeling a little older than I actually am, I guess," Remus added with a sheepish smile.

"I don't think you're old at all," Harry said with a smile. Remus smiled at him, laughing when Harry raised his eyebrows at him.

"Imp," Remus growled jokingly. He looked up as the fire turned green and Hermione and Rachael stepped through. Hermione looked a little green and she coughed as she stepped away from the fireplace.

"Oh, that was not pleasant," Hermione moaned as she held her hand to her mouth.

"Breathe, Hermione. It's always bad the first time. You'll get used to it," Rachael put an arm around her shoulders, letting Hermione use her shoulder as support.

"Hey Hermione, hey Rachael," Harry said, getting up. He went to Hermione, taking her hand and giving it a quick squeeze. She smiled weakly at him, still looking pale.

"Hi guys," Rachael said, smiling and waving. She slipped her bag off of her shoulder and held it out to Harry. "Presents!"

"Thanks, I'll save those for later, with the rest. Remus has a whole schedule planned out, and presents are later," Harry said. He handed the bag to Remus and he took it with a smile. He had just turned back to the girls when the Floo flared again and Fred stepped through. He immediately backed away as George and then a woman who could only be Molly Weasley came through.

"Morning!" Fred and George said in unison as they dusted themselves down.

Everyone said their own hello's and Severus and Narcissa came through from the kitchen.

Harry edged backward towards Severus a little bit, feeling as though the room was suddenly a bit too crowded. He didn't expect Remus to notice and put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. When he looked up, Severus was handing a vial that Harry recognised as to contain an Anti-Nausea potion to Hermione. She accepted it with a smile and, after drinking it quickly, gained her colour back. Harry could sympathise with Hermione's feeling of unease as he felt the same way after Floo travel sometimes.

"Well, it looks like you're going to have quite a crowd on your hands, Severus. Now, the twins have promised no mischief but if you need an extra set of eyes, I can meet you in Diagon Alley after the movie," Mrs Weasley was saying as she handed him a cake box. She turned to Harry with a smile. "Happy birthday, Harry dear. Did you get my letter last night?"

"Yes, thank you. We were going to save the slice for dessert tonight," Harry said with a smile.

"That sounds like a very good plan, Harry," Mrs Weasley said.

"Mum invited you to stay for a week at the end of the holidays, didn't she?" Fred asked Harry.

"Yes, I did, and I was going to wait for Harry to tell me his answer on his own, Fred," Mrs Weasley said, frowning at him.

Remus laughed quietly behind Harry and he looked up in confusion.

"I hadn't asked Harry yet, but as long as Ron agrees to behave, I'm sure that Harry would enjoy living in a fully magical household for a week," Severus said with a look towards Harry to confirm. Harry nodded and smiled at Fred and George.

"That sounds great, Mrs Weasley. And Ron's really only bad when Dudley and Seamus are around," Harry said. Fred and George cheered and did a little dance to celebrate.

"Then it's settled. Now, if you need any help this afternoon..." Mrs Weasley started.

"We'll Floo you from Diagon Alley," Remus finished gently. "And I'm sure that I know exactly how to convince the twins to keep away from their usual tricks," Remus said, raising an eyebrow in their direction. Harry had told them about Remus being part of a group of pranksters and they were eager to pick his brain.

"Oh well in that case, please don't go giving them any ideas, Remus," Mrs Weasley sighed. "They are quite smart enough on their own."

Fred and George beamed at her but put on innocent expressions when she pointed at them threateningly. "We'll be on our best behaviour, Mum."

"Hmm, I'm sure. Be good, be safe and have fun," Mrs Weasley said, drawing each boy in for a hug, though she seemed to recognise that a kiss on the cheek would be too embarrassing. "Goodbye, Severus, Remus, children. Have fun, and happy birthday, Harry and you too, Neville," Mrs Weasley said as she stepped through the Floo.

"I guess that's my cue to leave as well. You children have fun today, and don't eat too much sugar," Aunt Narcissa said as she smiled sweetly at them.

"They'll be fine, Narcissa," Severus soothed. "And Draco is quite used to sleeping here." Narcissa smiled at Severus, though Harry saw that she was glaring at him behind the smile. When Severus' eyebrow rose, she dipped her head and smiled at the rest of them.

"Good day, girls and boys. Draco, be good for your godfather," Here Narcissa paused and pinned him with a stern glare. "And I'll pick you up at around ten o'clock tomorrow." Draco was standing stiffly and it was obvious that he was thinking about hugging his mother goodbye. Marcus noticed the stiff goodbye and reached over, pushing Draco forward so that he stumbled towards his mother. Narcissa caught him in a hug and Harry saw her smile at Marcus over Draco's head. Narcissa straightened and left through the Floo with a backward wave.

"Okay, now that everyone's here, let's see about getting into London, shall we?" Remus said, straightening up and raising his voice slightly so that everyone was listening to him. "We are going to Floo to the Leaky Cauldron and then walk to a Muggle cinema to watch Aladdin." Remus paused when Hermione made an excited noise. "When we Floo, we're going to let Rachael, Marcus, Fred and George go first and then Draco, Neville and Teddy will go through on their own. Then Severus and I will follow with Harry and Hermione, because they're still not confident Flooing on their own. Tom is expecting you at the other end, so if anyone tries to give you trouble, just go over to the bar, where he can see you, and wait. Okay?" Remus waited for everyone to nod yes before gesturing for Marcus to go first.

The four older students went through quickly and then the three pureblood children. Neville stumbled as he stepped into the fireplace and Harry saw Severus flinch but he pronounced the desired location and Remus shrugged at Severus' doubtful look. "Your turn, Hermione." When she grimaced and looked at the fireplace, Remus gave her shoulder a quick squeeze.

"The potion you took should stop you from getting sick again, Miss Granger," Severus spoke up as he moved towards Harry.

"Oh, okay, then I guess I'm ready," Hermione said with a small smile. Remus stepped forward and put his arm around Hermione's shoulders so that when they entered the fireplace they were close enough to Floo safely.

After they had gone, Severus turned to Harry with a raised eyebrow. Harry stepped forward, used to the ritual of Flooing. When they arrived in the Leaky Cauldron, Harry stepped over to the table that Marcus had obviously claimed for them to regroup at. Remus waved to the bartender, who Harry assumed was Tom.

"Alright, we're going to eat lunch after the movie, so let's get going. I'm not going to ask you to hold hands, but keep together, okay?" Remus said with a questioning look at everyone. They all nodded and followed Remus out of the tavern.

As they walked out of the tavern, Harry noticed the wizarding children wince as the noise of the city hit their ears. He rubbed his ears and saw Severus tugging at his sleeve uncomfortably.

"That's always annoying, isn't it?" Remus said lightly to Harry as he walked. Hermione looked up in confusion and Remus smiled gently at her. "For witches and wizards who not spend a lot of time in Muggle areas, like London, coming into them can be confronting as it's louder and harsher than our areas."

"I didn't know that. I only knew that Hogwarts seemed quieter than my home, even though there were more people," Hermione said, gazing at the other children with sympathy. Harry saw her notice that Draco was walking close to Severus and looked really tense. She smiled at Harry and Remus and then sped up so that she was walking next to Draco. Draco looked at Hermione doubtfully but when she lifted her chin and challenged him with her eyes, he relented and offered her his arm. Harry felt Teddy grab his arm to drag Harry forward so that he was walking between Teddy and Neville. Harry laughed with them as Marcus slowed to look at a group of teenagers all dressed in black with dark makeup.

Severus turned to the right and opened the door for the children to walk through. "If you buy the tickets, I'll help them get some popcorn and drinks," Remus said to Severus as he waked through the door. Severus nodded and handed Remus some Muggle money. Harry breathed in the smell of popcorn, bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly in anticipation.

"Okay, guys, do you want to come with me and we'll get some popcorn to share." Remus led the way to the candy bar and placed an order for five medium popcorns. While the girl behind the counter was filling the cartons, he asked each child what drink they wanted. Harry was glad that he wasn't the only child the had to ask Remus what he suggested.

After Harry was handed his Fanta drink, Harry took a sip to try the flavour. The orange flavoured drink was vey sweet and fizzy but Harry liked it; it reminded him of the frozen Coke he'd had during the fair.

Teddy and Neville seemed impressed by the fizzy drinks as well and made a face at Hermione's bottle of water. "My parents don't like me drinking that," Hermione explained to Remus.

"That's fair enough. They didn't tell me that you had any preferences either way but if you don't like something that's too sweet, let me know," Remus said to her.

"Thank you sir," Hermione smiled. Rachael bounced up behind them and tapped her bottle of water against Hermione's in the way that you did during toasts.

"Hey, healthy buddy!" Rachael smiled at Hermione and scowled at the Weasley twins as they groaned in disgust.

"The movie starts in ten minutes," Severus said as he came back to the group.

"Let's go find our seats then," Remus said loud enough to gather them in. Draco moved up to Hermione and offered his arm with a small flourish. Hermione blushed when Fred and George wolf-whistled but took Draco's arm. Harry saw Severus watch Draco with surprise on his face and knew that Severus was worried about how fast Draco had changed his mind.

The children followed Remus up to the boy who was standing in front of a set of double doors. The boy counted them and then ripped the end off of their tickets. Remus took their tickets back and then turned and handed a ticket to each child.

Harry took Teddy's ticket for him because he was holding his drink and the popcorn Remus had given them to share. Neville was talking to Marcus about Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, which Neville had said that he wanted to take. Harry was glad that the shy Gryffindor had got over his nervousness around the intimidating Slytherin Quidditch captain. Marcus had offered to share popcorn with Neville when he realised the uneven numbers.

As they followed Remus down the short corridor, Harry realised that the black wall in front of him was going to be the movie screen. He looked around in wonder, taking in all the size of the cinema. Remus started moving up the stairs, leading them to two rows of seats in the middle, halfway up.

They filed into the rows, splitting themselves between them equally. Remus sat at one end of the back row and Severus sat on the end opposite him in the forward row. Harry could see him tugging at his sleeve again and laughed internally at the idea of his Dad having such an obvious tell.

The chattered between themselves after sitting down until the screen lit up with an advertisement about the candy bar. Harry squirmed with excitement, smiling at Severus as he looked over their way. As the lights went down, he focused on the movie screen with a broad grin.

Severus POV

Severus looked over during the Genie's song about being a good friend to have. All the children, even Marcus, who Severus had worried was too old to enjoy the movie, was fixated on the screen. Remus was watching the screen out of half-closed eyes and Severus recognised the look from tired but interested students.

He turned his attention back to the screen, noticing references to certain things he recognised from Muggle culture. He knew the children wouldn't pick them up but he found that the juvenile movie was made more bearable by analysing it that way.

He resigned himself to watching the movie and being the only mature person in the house when Remus started tapping his fingers along with the tune.

He quickly checked in on Draco, knowing that Draco might be uncomfortable with the Muggle-ness of the day. Draco, however, was just as captivated by the movie as Hermione, who was sitting next to him. Severus was guardedly happy that Draco had accepted the Muggleborn girl's advances, showing that Lucius' influence could not have been as strong as Narcissa and Severus had feared. Draco had asked to stay with Severus again this summer, though he had asked that it be without Harry there. When he had asked at the start of the summer, Severus had considered asking Remus to take Harry for a week. Now, he was going to talk to Harry about accepting Molly's offer of a week at the Weasley's. He didn't want Draco to think that he could exclude the younger boy but he knew that after the year they'd been through, Draco deserved some time alone with Severus.

Later, after the movie, Severus helped the children throw their drinks and popcorn buckets in the bin on their way out of the cinema. They were all chattering excitedly about the movie and Harry had a bright smile that made Severus feel like the movie had been worth it. Even if it had had a dancing monkey in it.

The shock of cold wind that hit them was mildly disappointing after the deserts of Agrabah onscreen but Severus shrugged his collar higher. After he checked to make sure none of the children were cold, Severus led the group back to the Leaky Cauldron. He held the door open for the children, holding out a hand to stop Lupin for a moment at the door.

"I'll go pick up the ice-cream for afternoon tea, if you help them order?" Severus suggested.

Lupin nodded and asked, "What should I order for you?"

"Chicken parmigiana," Severus replied, briefly remembering the menu that was usually on offer by Tom.

He squeezed Harry's shoulder as he walked past, reassuring him. He felt Harry's eyes on his back but knew that Harry's friends would reassure him.

Harry POV

Harry looked over to Remus as Severus walked away, wondering where his Dad was going. "Okay everybody, let's find some seats and have some lunch. Check out the menu and I'll grab us some drinks."

Harry followed Marcus and Rachael through the busy pub to a large table that would fit all eleven of them. Rachael pointed to a seat and Harry took it, realising that everyone would be able to talk to him if he sat there.

"Neville, why don't you sit there?" Harry said, pointing to the seat across from him.

Teddy sat on Harry's right and Harry shuffled his seat so that Teddy could fit in. Teddy reached for one of the menus on the table and Harry looked at it while he held it out. The food looked like it was similar to the food that they had for lunch on the day of the summer fair. Harry spotted a chicken burger and chips option that looked like it would be a safe option.

Remus returned to the table, holding two pitchers of water. The girl standing next to him had a pitcher of pumpkin juice and a pitcher of apple juice. She placed her pitchers on the wooden table and then pulled a pen and paper out of the pocket of her apron. Remus walked around the table and filled everyone's glasses with water. He put the empty pitchers on the table and turned to the table. "Okay, who's chosen what they want to eat?"

Rachael put her hand up and the waitress went around the table to her to take her order. After she was finished with Rachael, she moved around the table in a clockwise movement. Harry noticed people watching their table and ducked his head, hoping they weren't looking at him. He lifted his head again as Severus came back, sitting in one of the spare chairs. The waitress took his order and then left for the kitchen.

"I'm glad it's not me they're staring at," Harry heard Rachael mutter.

"Well, we'd be happy to distract them," Fred offered, as George nodded and grinned evilly.

"No, thank you," Severus said with a smirk.

"No, oh, okay," George said. Harry could tell by the looks in Fred and George's eyes that they were still thinking about doing something anyway.

"If you were to do anything, it will just draw attention back to the table and therefore Harry. They're going to stare, so let them," Rachael said matter-of-factly to the twins. They nodded but still looked a little unconvinced. Neville jumped in with a comment about Aladdin and they began a discussion about the magic in the movie.

Teddy turned the conversation to debating whether or not genies actually existed. Severus and Remus refused to answer which Fred and George took as confirmation of their existence. They whooped and started involving the whole table in a plot to find a genie. Remus joined in on the plotting, pointing out flaws in their plan to help them refine it.

The waitress came back, with another girl helping her, to give them their meals. Harry quietly thanked her as she put his plate down. She smiled and took a Sugar Quill out of her apron and put it next to his plate.

"Actually, I owe you a thank you, Harry Potter," she said with a smile.

"It's Potter-Snape now," Teddy piped up, smiling at her.

"That's right, I heard about that," she replied to Teddy. "I hope you are happy, Harry. You deserve it after everything." She walked away from the table, sashaying over to table of men.

"Harry, what did she say to you?" Remus asked after sharing a look with Severus.

"She said that she owes me a thank you," Harry said thoughtfully. "And she gave me this," he added while holding up the Sugar Quill. Severus held out his hand for it and Harry handed it over.

Severus held the Quill in his palm and muttered a phrase that Harry couldn't hear. A glow of white light flowed the Quill and Severus' gaze lightened a bit. "That was very nice of her, then. Her family must have been greatly affected by the war," Severus said as he passed the Sugar Quill back.

Harry smiled and noticed that the older children all seemed to relax as well. He realised that Severus had been checking the Quill for poison and frowned. Why would anyone want to poison him while thanking him?

Rachael's question about the quality of his food made him focus on the meal in front of him, though he still had a funny feeling in the bottom of his stomach.

Later, Harry whooped along with the other boys as Remus set another log on their bonfire and sparks flew upward from the flames.

"Alright, who want to toast marshmallows with me?" Remus called, holding long wire forks in his hand.

Harry, Teddy, Draco and Neville got up from their seats and went toward Remus. He held out the wire forks and they each took one. He showed them how to thread the marshmallows onto the fork and the boys copied him. Harry accidentally nicked his finger and shook his hand out, hissing slightly.

"Careful, Harry. Are you bleeding?" Severus asked as he came up to the group of boys.

"Nope, I just caught it on the tip accidentally," Harry said sheepishly.

"Ouch, I've done that before," Severus said. Harry was glad that Severus had relaxed as the day went by, losing the sternness and showing the side of him that Harry got to see.

"I've never had toasted marshmallows before," Harry told Severus quietly.

"Neither has Draco or Neville," Severus answered him, squeezing his shoulder. "Do you think you'll like it?"

"I didn't like sticking my finger," Harry said, grimacing. He smiled quickly to show that he wasn't really upset and Severus smiled at him gently. Harry poked the fork out over the fire so that his marshmallows could roast. Severus reached forward and pushed the fork down so that it was closer to the fire.

"It cooks quicker that way," Severus explained as he moved to Neville's side. Once the marshmallows had crisped up, Harry walked over to where Rachael and Hermione were sitting, talking and watching Fred and George throw marshmallows into the fire. As the marshmallows got too hot, they exploded.

"Would you like to have a marshmallow?" Harry offered. Hermione smiled in thanks, moving over so that Harry could sit on their blanket with them. Harry held out the fork so that they could each pull a crispy marshmallow off.

"Yum," Hermione said after she had licked the sticky marshmallow from her fingers.

"Come on, we should make some more," Harry said, pulling Hermione to her feet. Rachael waved to them as George came to sit next to her. She smiled at him, laughing as he presented her with a lollipop, flourishing it. Harry watched her take it and unwrap it, popping it in her mouth.

He turned back to Hermione as she and Draco brought the bag of marshmallows over. Harry gave Hermione the fork so that she could try toasting the marshmallows on her own and Draco showed her how to put the marshmallows on. Harry had noticed that Draco was being really nice to Hermione and was glad of the effort that the Slytherin boy was putting in. He moved closer to Draco, realising he hadn't talked properly to the blond boy all day.

"Did you like Aladdin, Draco?" Harry asked.

"Well, I'm still not sure about Muggles but it was interesting," Draco said, sounding a little high and mighty. Hermione rolled her eyes and stepped closer to the fire so that her marshmallows would toast.

"Yes, that was why you were singing along, Draco," Fred said as he came up behind them. He ruffled Harry's hair, messing up the already wild hairstyle.

Harry shrugged Fred off playfully, growling, "Get off of me!"

Fred laughed and ducked away as Harry batted at him. Draco watched them warily, seeming to Harry to be unsure of the way the boys were joking with each other. Harry realised suddenly that Draco had played rough with a group of boys because of his family's expectations.

"Like you and George weren't able to sing the whole song by dinner time," Harry slung back at Fred with an encouraging smile at Draco.

"That, Harry, is a matter of pride," Fred said, puffing his chest out theatrically.

"And a matter of our poor ears being bombarded," Draco said, looking at Harry for approval that he'd done the right thing. Harry laughed and poked his tongue out at Fred. Fred ruffled Draco's hair, catching Draco's hand as he moved to fix it.

"Leave it, it looks better that way," Fred said, still as playfully, though there was something in his eyes that made Harry wonder. When Draco playfully re-joined about Fred' hair, the look in Fred's eyes disappeared.

"Marshmallows, boys," Hermione said, holding out the fork so that they could take a marshmallow off of the fork. Hermione yawned after eating her marshmallow and the boys laughed. "Gosh, I'm really tired," Hermione said.

Remus came up as Hermione walked away to sit on the picnic blanket with Rachael and George. "We're going to start winding down and calming down before bed now," Remus said.

"But it's so early," Draco whined. Remus' expression changed to the patient smile Harry recognised. "Can't we stay up late because it's Harry's birthday?"

"I think you already know the answer to that, Draco. You don't have to go to sleep right away, but we're going to change into pyjamas and let the fire start dying. You've all had a long day and I've seen enough yawns from you all to convince me that the last thing you all need is to stay up late," Remus pointed out, still maintaining his patient demeanour. Harry thought that Remus had been very patient with all the children today – even Petunia had been frazzled after a day with Dudley and his friends.

Harry left Draco to continue arguing and went to sit with Severus. Severus smiled down at him before going back to watching Draco. "He's arguing with Lupin, isn't he?"

"Yeah, but I think Remus can handle him," Harry said.

Severus smirked. "In that case, let Lupin handle him." Severus sighed and leant back, still watching over all the group.

"Thanks, Dad," Harry said, quietly. Severus looked down at him, putting an arm around Harry for a quick hug.

"You're welcome, Harry." Severus watched Fred chase Hermione around the fire with sticky marshmallow on his hand for moment before looking back down at Harry. "So how did you like your first official birthday celebrations?"

"They were awesome," Harry breathed, going over the entire day in his head. "It's perfect. I've got great friends, a home and now we're a real family. And I never have to live with the Dursleys again and no one can take me away." Even saying it gave Harry a happy, warm feeling inside.


	6. Chapter 6

**So, thanks to four hour creativity streak yesterday that lasted until 3am (see my profile for new HP&SS story Detrimental), I managed to finish this chapter, finally. For those who are a little wary of the horsey stuff, we won't see Mickey again, except in letters, until they come home for Christmas. ****  
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**Love reading your reviews, so please, anything to say, good or bad, write it down and hit send :) As usual, not my characters, just my sandbox :)  
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**Oh! And due to lack of entries, the competition deadline has been extended until August 14th. If you are interested, PM me so I know if I'm waiting on anybody. So far, I've only had two entries and they are both for Letters: The Year with the Stone :) You can check them out at .com (/) tagged (/) competition_entries.  
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**Also, on that site mentioned above, there is a link called "Letters Series". Basically, I've put all the things that help me picture the scenery or the characters on there and anyone having trouble picturing the horses, there are examples of each of them under that heading too. I've also done a dreamcast, including the OCs in Letters :)  
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**Chapter Six**

Severus glanced out of the window and resisted the urge to go down to the stable and saddle up. Draco and Harry had left on a ride two hours ago, and though Harry's riding was very good for his level, Severus was worried that Draco would push Harry further than he was able.

"If you worry any more, he'll be able to feel it all the way out there," Lupin observed from the doorway to the library.

"They're late."

"No they're not. You told them that the ride would take about two hours, which it has, and Harry is slower than you or I would be, which means that it is supposed to take longer. Now stop fretting and go fix whatever potion is stinking up the lounge." Severus started at Remus' reminder and swore as he realised the potion was ruined. He stood quickly, wanting to stop it from damaging the cauldron.

Severus looked up from vanishing the potion and checking the cauldron to see Lupin wearing a very good approximation of a smirk while leaning against a table. "Happy, Lupin?"

"That you ruined what was obviously an important potion, no. But that Harry is happy, yes. And, well, I'm happy here. Ever since I left the USA, it feels like I've been searching for a place again. A place where my life had more meaning than whatever demeaning, low pay job-of-the-week I had to do to survive. So yes, Severus, I am happy." Lupin turned on his heel and walked back up the stairs before Severus could come up with a quick reply.

Remus POV

Remus strode down to the stable, breathing in the horsey smells with a sigh. His god-daughter rode competitively in the US but Remus hadn't been there for over a year and he missed the hours spent at the barn watching her ride. When the big black horse Harry had identified as Strider snorted and skittered back from his stall door, Remus sighed in disappointment. Some of the horses that Remus had met seemed to smell the wolf and they always recoiled in fear.

Remus went into the tack room and dug out some saddle soap. He pulled one of the saddles off of the rack on the wall and placed it on a standing saddle rack. He pulled a stool up to the rack and started cleaning the saddle, relaxing into the familiar rhythm.

It hadn't been long when he heard hooves clatter onto the paved area outside the barn. He could hear Harry and Draco talking happily and from the sound of the their horses' hoof beats, they hadn't pushed their horses too hard. He stood up and went out into the yard, watching Harry dismount slightly clumsily from Mickey. The patient pony obviously noticed that Harry wasn't holding onto the reins and shook himself before trotting towards Remus. Remus waited until Mickey came up to give him a curious sniff and then hooked his reins.

"Oops!" Harry put his hand on Mickey's bridle and frowned. "I keep forgetting that."

Remus smiled at Harry and went down Mickey's side to slide Harry's stirrups up. "You'll figure it out soon. It's just about coordination. Have a good ride?"

"Yep," Harry nodded and sent a smile towards Draco, who'd come up next to them, leading his Arabian. "Draco's horse is really fast, though. Mickey had to trot really fast to keep up with him."

Draco smirked proudly, patting his grey mare on the face. Her pretty, intelligent eyes looked Remus over suspiciously, nostrils flaring as she took in his scent. She rolled her eyes slightly and put her head up, thinking about stepping back but Draco tugged on the reins to get her to stay still.

"Don't, Draco, she's scared." Remus stopped himself suddenly, scared of what he'd almost confessed. Draco looked at him suspiciously.

"My father always told me that horses who respect their owners stand still," Draco said.

"And most of time that's true. But you need to be flexible sometimes. She's not misbehaving at the moment," Severus answered as he came around behind Mickey and Harry.

"What's she scared of?" Harry asked. Remus winced internally and looked hopelessly at Severus as Harry and Draco looked at the mare.

"Sometimes horses, especially some Arabs, get scared of things that don't seem scary to us. Remus probably smells different to what Ayla is used to," Severus explained.

Harry patted Ayla on the nose, murmuring assurances. "Poor girl. Remus isn't scary, he's nice. Come on," Harry took her reins from Draco in the hand that wasn't holding Mickey and stepped forward, coaxing her forward. Her eyes threatened to roll again but she stepped forward and tipped her delicate nose towards Remus. He made sure to stay still and not make any movements that would scare her. She touched her nose to Remus' chest, breathing harshly. Remus saw her tense, eyes rolling back and opened his mouth to warn Harry but he was too late and Ayla went skittering backward, tearing the reins from Harry's hand. Mickey's head went up and he stepped side ways but Severus reached over and grabbed his bridle, stepping with him as he shied. Severus circled the pony until he stopped trotting and then gestured for Remus to take the reins. Remus stepped forward and talked calmly to the stirred up pony, steering him away from the boys. Draco had taken Harry's hand and drawn Harry back into the barn so that they were out of the way.

Remus watched Severus step sideways toward the scared mare, moving toward her when she stopped moving and letting her decide to come forward. She picked her ears toward Severus' outstretched hand, knowing that it usually meant she was going to get a treat. Severus crossed the last half a metre and took her bridle, shushing her as she stepped away from her. Once she was accepting his leadership again, he led her back over to the stable, walking straight past Remus and over to the tie up rail. Remus gestured to Harry and Draco and handed them Mickey, who had decided that the drama wasn't worth it and started shifting toward the patch of grass bordering the yard.

Draco took hold of the pony and walked him over to where Severus was untacking Ayla. Harry stood with Remus, looking at him with a confused look.

"Go ahead, Harry. I'll stay back here so Ayla doesn't shy again," Remus reassured him. "There's obviously something about me that she doesn't like."

Harry looked at Remus searchingly but responded to Severus' call for him to come untack his pony. Remus lent on the wall, putting his head back and sighing. He felt rather than heard Severus come over, bristling slightly.

"Well, that was interesting," Severus drawled. Remus sighed internally, knowing Severus' tone. He was spoiling for a fight.

"It happens around me sometime, Severus. I can never tell which horse is going to react and which isn't. You saw just as well as I did that Ayla was scared of me. You could have stopped Harry drawing her forward just as easily as I could have. We just didn't," Remus justified.

"I knew she was scared, I didn't know that a perfectly safe Arabian mare that I've known since she was foaled would pull back that viciously. Say what you will about Lucius Malfoy, but he employs the best trainers in the region and his horses are reliable," Severus told Remus.

"Bull," Remus snapped, looking Severus in the eye. "No horse is 100%, no matter the trainer. And knowing the type of trainer that Lucius Malfoy is likely to employ, you can't trust her that much. It was you who taught Lily about the best type of training methods - she trained their dog with your methods." Severus' surprised look in Remus' direction didn't go unnoticed. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to leave you to help the boys, since I can't go near them."

Remus walked away, back towards the house, resisting the urge to fall into self-pity. He looked up as a shadow fell across him, seeing an owl that he recognised floating down towards him. He put out his arm, waiting for the owl to alight. Once the owl was settled, it stuck out it's leg, asking for him to take the letter. "Hello, Lirio, had a good flight?" The owl chirruped affectionately and then took off without waiting for an answer.

Remus opened the letter, smiling as he read the invitation to join a friend at a horse sale in London. He turned to look back into the stable, seeing Harry and Draco laughing as they told Severus about their ride and then walked up and into the house. Once he was inside, he grabbed his coat off of the coat rack and went through the Floo. He stepped out of the fire in his friend Lucas' apartment and greeted Lucas with a smile.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Lucas said, greeting Remus with a hug.

"Hello, Lucas. I haven't been out of this area for that long," Remus said, laughing at his friend's enthusiasm. 'This area' was a slightly run-down country town that was surviving on its production of racehorses and the fact that the Thoroughbreds out of this area were of a good quality.

"Long enough, my friend. Two of our old friends, I'll give you two guess who, have decided to start a riding school and they've asked me to head to the sales and see if I can find some short racehorses to start them off with. I was wondering if you wanted to come along and help me spot some strong, slow ones," Lucas said.

"That sounds like the best plan for this afternoon. Stuck on a farm with two twelve year old boys who still have problems tolerating each other isn't the best way to spend the last few days," Remus said as they made their way out of the house.

"Is that the child of the chick you told me you were seeing?" Lucas asked as they walked down the street, waving hello to the locals.

"Please don't call her that, you sound like a teenager," Remus said, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

"My my, class is rubbing off on you. What happened to the bloke who downed an entire carton of beer per night with me last summer?" Remus looked sheepishly over at Lucas, who burst out laughing.

"It's not rubbing off on me. Everyone who went to our school was expected to be rather formal," Remus explained. "About 60% of the students at our school were purebloods from rich families."

"Wow, 60%? That's a lot," Lucas said, whistling slightly. "Spent three years at a school in Australia and the only purebloods weren't at all snobby because most of us were either foreign or only a few generations in."

"I wish Hogwarts had been like that. Unfortunately," Remus trailed of in a 'what can you do?' way.

"True enough. Onto happier thoughts, this _lady_ that you're seeing, is it her child?" Lucas asked.

"Yes, Draco," Remus ignored Lucas' wrinkled nose and continued, "Is staying with Severus and Harry for two weeks. He's been here for a few days and Harry's leaving for his friend's house on Thursday. Then it'll be a week of just Severus and Draco," Remus said. Lucas snorted at the sarcasm in Remus' tone but didn't comment again as they turned into the car park of the horse sale barn. Remus smiled appreciatively at the bustle and noise of the stable, watching a groom unload two muscly horses out of a large float. The horses pranced around the groom, noses in the air as they took in the sights and sounds of the sale.

Lucas casually swapped jackets with Remus and Remus slipped Lucas' jacket on, hoping that it would mask the wolf smell for all but the most sensitive horses. The casual acceptance of his condition shown by Lucas had been what had cemented their friendship in the first place, even though Remus had been afraid for Lucas at the start.

Lucas pointed in the direction of the corral filled with racehorses who hadn't made their mark in time and Remus followed him over to the large fenced area. At least twenty horses milled inside the arena, most showing signs of stress from the crowded area and loud noises. Remus spotted a few greys and an unusual palomino, as well as the usual bays and browns. The herd moved suddenly as the rustlers moved in to single one out and Remus got to see the palomino in whole. He knew immediately why the poor youngster hadn't managed to earn his keep. He was heavy set, with thicker legs than the average Thoroughbred and no competitive attitude towards the other horses. His body disappeared back into the crowd of horses and Remus looked away as Lucas pointed out a few horses he was interested in. Remus cast a judgmental eye over the Thoroughbreds that Lucas was interested in and nodded at him.

"They look promising. Let's see how they move in the auction ring. As long as they're sound, they should suit Jenny and Lee's purpose," Remus answered, moving back from the rail so that someone else could move in.

"Want to have a look at that palomino as well?" Lucas asked with a knowing look.

"I don't think I can afford it at the moment. Not to mention what Severus may think if I brought home another horse. His barn can only fit four horses and I've heard him say to Harry that he might bring in another Friesian to accompany his stallion," Remus replied.

"Well, that leaves a spare stall for your horse, after the brat leaves," Lucas said, winking.

"Stop calling him that. He's a perfectly good child after you get past the fact that he was raised as a very privileged only child," Remus deferred.

"In other words, brat." Remus shook his head and ignored Lucas, knowing that the other man wouldn't be offended. He turned as he heard a high pitched whinny and the cries of "loose horse!". He turned just in time to see the golden Thoroughbred trotting down the aisle of the barn. He ducked around someone reaching out for him and almost went past Remus before his nostrils flared and he swung his head towards Remus. He slowed, pitching his ears toward Remus and taking a step in Remus' direction.

Remus turned sideways onto him, holding out a clenched hand, pretending he had a treat for the horse. His ears flicked back and forth but he stepped forward to sniff at Remus' hand. A quick glance showed Remus that the horse was a gelding, which was reassuring. When the horse was close enough, Remus reached forward and grabbed a handful of the horse's mane. He bobbed his head gently in surprise but didn't pull away. He dropped his nose towards Remus' chest, taking a deep breath in to take in his smell.

"Hey, boy, how did you get out?" Remus asked quietly, reaching his hand out to take the halter he was being offered. He slipped it up and over his ears, pulling his forelock out of the way of the halter. Once it was done up, he moved his hand to the halter, watching the horse for his reactions. The horse was calm but alert and Remus could see intelligence in his eyes.

"You know, Remus, I've never seen a horse that calm around you. If Severus has an issue with it, I can find you a place to board him here. Now that you're connected to the Floo network, it's just a simple trip through the Floo," Lucas said. Remus looked back to him and back at the horse, thinking quickly. "Hey, you know what, Jenny and Lee owe me a horse anyway. I'm buying him for you."

Remus turned fully around to protest but Lucas just patted him on the shoulder as he walked past, heading for the sale agent standing at the Thoroughbred arena. "Well, hey boy, how does that sound? Do you want to come home with me?" The gelding pricked his ears toward Remus, looking at him straight on. "I'll take that as a yes."

Harry POV

Harry was sitting on the bench seat at the end of the hallway on the second story, scribbling on some paper when he heard the Floo flare up. He looked up, knowing that it was probably Remus coming home. He heard Severus and Remus talking with each other and heard Severus' voice soften dangerously. Harry winced and turned back to his doodling. Draco came out of his room, looking curiously towards the stairs.

"I hear Uncle Severus' angry voice. What did Lupin do?" Draco asked, coming to sit at the end of the bench seat, shoving Harry's feet aside.

"I don't know. He only just got home," Harry said. He looked at Draco and realised that Draco seemed off about something. Not arrogant like he usually was but actually unsure.

"Why does Remus bother you so much?" Harry asked, ducking his head back down as Draco turned to glare at him.

"It's none of your business, Potter."

"Potter-Snape," Harry said quietly.

"Fine, it's none of your business, Potter-Snape," Draco snarled. Harry thought he'd get up and walk away but he stayed, bringing his knees up to his chest and staring moodily down the hallway. Harry opened his mouth to say something then shut it again. Maybe he could try Severus' trick.

Harry's drawing was almost finished and the back door had opened and shut, indicating that one or both of the adults had left, when Draco started talking. "He's dating my mother. Dad's barely been gone three months and she's dating him!" Draco spat in disgust. "They think I don't know but he's come over a few times this summer and once while we were in France. France! Why on Earth would he come all the way to France?" Draco stopped talking and frowned into the distance again.

"Maybe because he really likes your Mum?" Draco glared at Harry for his suggestion so Harry continued, "I mean, I know it sucks that she's dating someone just after your Dad left, but maybe they really like each other." Harry paused and Draco didn't answer. "And, I don't know but your Mum seems kind of happier since your Dad left. Was he nice to her?"

Draco's glare changed to a look of shock then he frowned and looked away. "You really aren't a Slytherin at all, are you Harry?"

"People keep saying that," Harry replied, smiling even though Draco wasn't looking at him. Draco didn't answer and Harry decided to give him something to trade with. "The reason I had really bad clothes and books when I started the year is because my relatives weren't really nice people either. They didn't like me very much and they did some really terrible things to me. But I didn't know that they were doing bad things to me until Severus started treating me like a parent should. Maybe your Mum didn't know that your Dad was treating her badly until Remus started treating her nicely. Or maybe she knew but she thought that that was better than anything else and now she realises that things could be better," Harry said, keeping his voice quiet. "Maybe things can be better for you too?"

Harry watched Draco from under his eyelashes, trying not to stare directly at him. The other boy was still staring resolutely away from Harry but Harry was watching him close enough to notice the way Draco's shoulder jumped. Harry debated reaching a hand out to comfort Draco but decided it might startle him into lashing out at Harry. Instead, Harry quietly put his pen back to the paper and finished his drawing, waiting until the boy started scrubbing at his eyes. Draco glanced his way, scowling but Harry kept his eyes on the paper, kind of surprised that the drawing looked like he thought it would in his head.

"You tell anyone and I'll hurt you, clear?" Draco snarled. Harry just looked at him steadily, raising an eyebrow when Draco still looked doubtful. Both boys looked away when Severus came up the stairs, though Harry saw Severus look at Draco closely.

"Everything okay up here?" Severus asked, coming over. Harry nodded, holding out his drawing for Severus to look at it. Severus took it, looking down at it quickly and then for longer as he took it in. "This is very good, Harry. Did you know you could draw?"

Harry shook his head, smiling as Severus handed the paper back. "I used to draw in class but my teachers got angry at me because I was meant to be paying attention."

"And so they should," Severus said, though Harry could see that most of his attention was on Draco. "Class is not your drawing time." Severus offered Harry a hand up and he took it, standing up and dusting himself off.

"I'm going to go see Remus," Harry said, leaving Draco and Severus alone. He trotted down the stairs, checking whether Remus was inside the house. Once he realised that Remus wasn't in the house, he headed down to the stable to see whether Remus was down there. He heard Ayla trotting around her stall, blowing air out of her nose noisily, before he saw Remus standing with Mickey, grooming the bay pony. Mickey was almost asleep, standing relaxed with one of his back hooves resting on its tip.

"Hey, Harry, how did your ride with Draco go? We didn't get to talk," Remus said, turning as Harry came up.

"It was good, thank you," Harry answered, picking up another brush and putting his arm around Mickey's head in order to groom his face. "Draco and I actually talked."

"You don't usually?" Remus asked.

"Not about real things. Draco tends to boast a lot," Harry explained.

"Hmm, what real things did you talk about today?"

"Last year. And why he was so awful," Harry said as he swept the brush down Mickey's nose.

"And what did he say?"

"That his parents were getting divorced and that he was jealous of all the time I was spending with Severus. I think he felt really horrible last year but no one ever told him that he's allowed to show that he's feeling horrible. Plus, I think that the only person he felt okay with being not okay with was Severus, because he doesn't act all stuck up like the rest of the adults around Draco," Harry rambled. He looked up in embarrassment but Remus just smiled at him.

"I think that's probably very close to what Draco was feeling. Is everything okay between you two now?" Remus asked.

"I think so," Harry answered, wondering whether the blond boy would go back to being defensive after breaking down like he had.

"Well that's good." Mickey swung his head up and around, nipping at Remus with his ears pinned back. "Whoa, boy, sorry, is that a sore spot?"

Harry looked at Mickey in concern, wondering if he'd missed noticing that his pony was in pain. "Is he okay?"

Remus looked at Harry before placing his hand back on Mickey's back and pressing. Mickey stepped sideways, turning his head slightly and nipping the air. "I reckon that he's just got some tight muscles and they're hurting. Severus will have a salve for it. I'll send him down to put it on after we go back; I don't want you doing it because Mickey might not like having his back pressed on and any horse is dangerous when you're doing something not so pleasant to them."

"Okay. Did going for a ride hurt him?" Harry asked, stroking the pony reassuringly. Harry frowned when Remus didn't answer straight away.

"I don't think so, Harry," Remus answered carefully, reaching past Harry to undo the knot tying Mickey to the wall. "Can you lead him up and down the aisle at a trot for me?"

Harry did as Remus asked, leading the slightly stubborn pony at a jog. Once they'd gone past Remus twice, he beckoned Harry over. "Okay, put him in his stall and let's head back to the house," Remus said, patting the pony on the rump. "It doesn't look like his soreness is affecting his movement, which means it's probably not hurting him to walk and trot, which is all you boys were doing. Severus might ask Lucy to stay off him for a while to let him get some rest but since you're going away for a week, I'd say it's nothing to worry about." Harry nodded, reassured, and put Mickey back into his stall, rubbing his face affectionately to say goodnight.

"Why didn't you tell Uncle Severus about me, you know," Draco trailed off, lounging casually against Harry's doorframe.

"Crying?" Harry said as he looked up from his drawing. Draco scowled at him, going to turn around and walk out but he stopped and turned around, walking into Harry's room and shutting the door.

"Why didn't you? Uncle Sev would have been proud of how you helped the boy who bullied you all last year," Draco sniffed haughtily.

"Because I figured that if you wanted him to know, you'd tell him. Can I go back to drawing now?" Harry asked, gesturing at the sketchbook that Severus had bought for him.

"No."

Harry turned around and stared at him, raising his eyebrow when he scowled at him. "I'm not going to tell anyone. And I thought I was meant to be pretending this never happened?"

"You were, but not right now," Draco said, pacing.

"Okay then," Harry muttered, wondering if provoking Draco into a fight would be a good idea.

"She wants me to come to dinner with him. I got her letter today," Draco said with a huff as he sat down hard on Harry's bed.

Harry looked at Draco in disbelief. "Draco, you've lived with him for four days already. Surely you're not nervous about that?"

"I'm not nervous about anything," Draco shot back. Harry scowled, sick of the word games and stood up, ready to leave his room. "This means it's serious." Harry stopped and looked at him, trying to be patient.

"Draco, I think the fact that Remus went to France meant it was serious. I think your Mum just wants to know that you and Remus get along. And, might I mention, when you're not trying to be a tough guy or act like a snob, you do. And here's a new idea – why don't you tell your Mum that this bugs you?" Harry said, trying not to sound too fed up.

"Because she's happy!" Draco snapped loudly. Harry walked over and sat next to him as Draco put his head in his hands. "And I don't want to mess it up for her."

"Have you talked to Severus about this?" Harry asked.

"No," Draco said into his hands.

"Do you want to?"

"No."

Harry wrinkled his nose and glared at Draco while he wasn't looking. "I don't know the right answer, Draco. I haven't exactly had this problem."

"No, you had bigger problems that were actually worth worrying about," Draco muttered. Harry rolled his eyes at the resentful tone and then grabbed his pillow and hit Draco with it. "Hey!"

"Well you hit me with a pillow when I was being stupid," Harry said with a smile. Draco looked down, smiling at his hands.

"Should I talk to Uncle Sev?"

"If you have to ask that, then you already what I'm going to say."

"Do you think I should talk to my Mum?"

"I think that your Mum wouldn't ever be truly happy unless you were and that you are allowed to say that you are uncomfortable with a situation," Harry said.

"Uncle Sev tell you that?"

"How'd you guess," Harry remarked wryly, making Draco laugh.

"He's pretty smart sometimes. Just, don't tell him I said that."

"I won't if you won't tell him that I think you're right."

On Thursday, Harry smiled as he heard a clatter of feet up the stairs. "Harry!" Teddy cried as he burst into the room, bouncing over to him.

Harry turned away from packing his bag for his trip to the Weasleys and smiled at his friend. "The day you discover coffee, I'm moving where you can never find me."

"Well, thanks," Teddy said sarcastically, nudging Harry's shoulder with his as he went past to sit on the bed.

"Just saying, you on coffee, very bad," Harry explained, going back to his packing. Teddy smiled at him, laughing as Harry threw a pair of folded up socks at him.

"I stole some of Mum's last month and even the nanny wouldn't deal with me," Teddy admitted with a sheepish smile in Harry's direction.

"How'd it taste?" Harry asked.

"Bad. Worse than it smells," Teddy admitted with a grimace.

Harry laughed, packing the last of his clothes in his bag. He zipped it up and chucked it over his shoulder. "So you're coming with me to the Weasleys?"

"Just for the day," Teddy agreed. Fred and George had sent the letter suggesting the plan only two days ago, citing Ron's reluctance to play nice as a reason to have back-up, at least for the first day.

"Okay."

"Looking forward to spending time with Fred and George, our resident tricksters," Teddy asked.

"Yeah, it should be fun," Harry said, doing a visual check to make sure that he hadn't forgotten anything.

"Did you and Draco manage to stop from killing each other this week?" Teddy asked, making Harry pause guiltily.

"Um, yeah, we did. We went for a ride and talked about everything and now we're doing okay, I guess," Harry answered, looking to Teddy.

"And has the Slytherin prince been playing nice?" Teddy drawled.

"He's going through some stuff too, Teddy. And he never had any friends like you do," Harry explained.

"Doesn't make it better, Harry," Teddy deferred.

"I know, but it at least makes a bit more sense now," Harry said, shouldering his duffel bag. Teddy smiled and took the heavy bag off of him, slinging it over his own shoulder. "Thanks."

"You need to eat more, scrawny. How do expect to get on the Quidditch team without some muscles?" Teddy taunted, his eyes clearing.

"Pure talent, Teddy, pure talent," Harry said, poking his tongue out at his friend. He stopped, hearing shrills neighs from the stables.

"Why are they doing that?" Teddy asked, crinkling his nose in disgust.

"I don't know, come on, let's go find out," Harry said, speeding up and trotting down the stairs.

Harry heard an out of place noise and turned towards the front window to see a massive pick up truck and horse trailer coming down the driveway. The noise from the horses increased and Harry gestured for Teddy to drop his bag and follow him.

They came out of the kitchen as the truck went around the side of the house and started down the hill to the stable. Harry caught a glimpse of a golden coloured horse's head swinging in the front and then he followed the trailer at a slight run. Remus appeared out of the stable, wiping his hand on a rag. He smiled at the sight of the truck and trailer and waved a greeting to the boys. The truck pulled around so that the back of the trailer was close to the stable door and stopped.

A tall, muscly man stepped out of the truck, waving to Remus. He was wearing a wide brimmed hat that Harry had seen on cartoon cowboys in Dudley's cartoons. "He kicked the trailer the whole way here, bloody mongrel. Sweet as sugar on the ground but nasty as hell when you try to put him in a trailer. You owe me, Remus!"

"He hurt anyone?" Remus called out in answer.

"Nope, just gave my new groom a good hazing. Lee managed to load him but he wasn't having any of our attempts. Gently, gently and he'll behave but the minute you try to force him to do anything, he pins his ears back and uses all that bulk to his own advantage." Lucas stopped by the back of the trailer as Harry and Teddy came up. "Looked into his history, Remus. He wasn't fast and he isn't competitive but he was known for being stubborn as all hell and pushy when he wanted to be."

"Well, I won't exactly be pushing him for anything. A few trail rides, maybe some jumping if he seems interested," Remus said.

"Well, if the way he cleared his fence when he got lonely is any indication, then he's going to be quite interested," Lucas said. Remus looked up in shock and then shook his head.

"Good thing we've got stalls then," Remus said with a laugh.

"Alright, if you boys back up a bit," Lucas said, nodding to them. Harry drew Teddy back towards the door of the barn, staying on the side where they couldn't get in the way. "Let's get him out."

Remus walked around to the front of the trailer where there was a door in the side. Harry heard the horse inside give a small nicker of welcome and then Lucas was dropping the tailgate of the trailer, forming a ramp down to the ground. When he'd undone the rail behind the horse and swung it backward, the horse started taking quick steps backward. Remus followed him out of the trailer, holding the lead rope. The golden horse was huge, even compared to Strider, who Harry still found intimidating. "Easy, boy, steady now."

The horse swung round once he was halfway down the ramp, stepping off it sideways and throwing his head in the air, legs jumping backwards. Harry heard Teddy's quick intake of breath and realised that Teddy was scared of the explosive power the horse seemed to be holding in. "It's okay, Teddy. Remus won't let us get hurt. We're safe over here."

"Harry, can you run over and open the gate to the arena. I'm going to take him and let him move around a bit," Remus called. Harry ran over, pulling the gate open so that gate was between him and the horse, as Severus had taught him. "He got a name, Lucas?"

"Race name was Solaris Star. Stable name was something I can't say in polite company, from what I've heard," Lucas said, closing the trailer as Remus led the trotting horse forward.

"Huh, let me guess, you don't like his trainer." Lucas laughed out loud and shook his head. "Well, Star sounds like a nice enough name. Simple, easy to yell and easy to remember."

Harry closed the gate after the horse had passed through and Lucas came up to lean on the gate. Harry beckoned to Teddy, getting him to come over and stand with them. "We're safe here. Dad said most horses won't go through a gate."

"Will this one?" Teddy asked, unsure.

"Nah, he's a big pushy horse who likes to throw his weight around but Remus is good with those ones. Remus will keep his attention on him so that he doesn't think about going anywhere. Horses just need to move their feet sometimes and it'll help him get a look at his new home," Lucas said quietly.

Remus unclipped Star's lead rope, throwing the end of it towards his back end when he spun towards the gate. Star took off in a canter towards the other end of the arena, pining his ears back and kicking out at the lead rope. He bucked a few more times and then put his head up, looking out over the open space. Remus flicked the rope again to keep him moving and within moments the horse was focused back on Remus. His trot relaxed and his movements began to flow.

"I keep forgetting how good he is at that," Lucas breathed. While Teddy looked up at him, confused, Star turned in towards Remus, seeming to respond to invisible cues. Remus walked up to him and reclasped the lead rope onto the halter. Star bobbed his head but he seemed to be over his fit of ill-temper.

"I'm bringing him out now. Harry, Teddy, please stay on the other side of the gate. He's calm now but I don't think I'm going to let you handle him for a while, Harry," Remus said, walking over towards the gate.

"Okay," Harry said, moving backwards with the gate. Teddy still seemed really tense and Harry smiled at him reassuringly.

Once the horse was through, Lucas gestured when they could follow him into the stable. "Lucas, what colour is he?" Harry asked.

"He's a palomino," Lucas answered. "That golden colour and the way his mane's lighter than his body, that's how you know."

"You don't just call him a golden?" Teddy asked.

"Nah, we like to be complicated like that. Wait until you get into the different colour variations," Lucas said with a smile. "Not a fan of horses, son?"

"I just never been around them. And I don't know if I want to be. They're kind of scary," Teddy answered, watching the big palomino move around Remus.

"Come meet Mickey, Teddy," Harry said. He pulled the other boy over to the stable, smiling when Mickey looked over at him. He showed Teddy how to hold out his hand and the pony snuffled at Teddy's hand, making him laugh.

"I can sense what they're feeling. Like I do with people. Except that they're a lot calmer than people. At least, this one is," Teddy said really quietly.

"I'd love to know what Mickey is thinking," Harry said.

"Hey Harry, you're not going to ditch me for Draco, right," Teddy asked, even quieter.

"Of course not, you crazy," Harry said, looking at Teddy. "You're the first friend I ever had, why would I give that up?"

Teddy looked relieved and then laughed when Harry bumped him with a shoulder. "Come on, let's go back up to the house before Severus wonders where we've gone." Severus had said that he was returning to take them through to the Weasleys just after Teddy was meant to come.

"Bye, Remus, I'll see you later, okay?" Remus looked over and then held up a hand to get them to wait. Once he'd tied Star up, he came over and gave Harry a goodbye hug.

"Have a good time, Harry. Try not to stress out too much," Remus said, smiling.

"I won't. And tell me how Star settles in," Harry said, hearing Severus call for them. "Come on, Teddy, race ya!" Harry taunted as he ran out of the stable.

**Next chapter: The Burrow, Diagon Alley and Dobby!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, so the plot is finally moving along at a better pace - I've been stalling a little bit in my writing but now that this chapter's written, it should start flowing along a little bit more smoothly. **

**I've sent the winners of the competition messages to let them know, and their images are now the covers of both the Letters stories :)  
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**Two outtakes are in the planning stages - Harry's birthday presents and What Happened While the Dursleys Stayed at the Farm :) Will probably be writing those instead of doing my Tafe work, so shouldn't be too long in coming.  
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**I'd like to give a shout out to all my lovely reviewers - I take everything you say into consideration and it really does make me a better writer. In fact, Letters: The Year with the Stone is up to over 900 reviews, which is fairly amazing, considering I didn't even think this story would get a single review when I started writing it :)  
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**As always, not mine, just my sandbox and please, read, enjoy, and review :)  
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"Come on, Harry, you call that a throw?" Fred called out, knocking the red basketball-sized Quaffle away from the goal post that Harry had aimed at.

Harry laughed as George flew at his twin, chasing him into flight and making him drop the Quaffle. George threw it toward the goalpost, flying over to high five Harry when it sailed through the unprotected goal. Harry heard Ron swear behind them and turned to look at him. The younger boy was scowling, gripping his broom hard out of frustration. Harry shook his head in disbelief and flew down to grab the discarded Quaffle. He threw it towards Ron, deliberately harder than he needed to. Ron caught it with both hands, looking shocked.

"You start, Ron," Harry said. "Since we got the last goal."

Ron got a determined look on his face and then turned tail and flew towards their goal. Harry knew that he'd given Ron too much of a head start but he wanted to make it look like he wasn't trying to get the attention back to Ron. He flattened himself to his broom, willing it to go faster. He heard Fred yell encouragement behind him and dipped down, feeling instinctively where the wind was less intense. He noticed how fast he was gaining on Ron and suddenly flew his broom upwards, coming up right next to Ron. Ron turned, shocked, and accidentally dropped the Quaffle. Harry caught it out of the air, grinning triumphantly, and turned back towards the goal post. He flattened himself to the broom, zipping past George as he tried to block and then pulling up to throw the Quaffle. Fred's cheer turned to a groan of disappoint as it sailed past the goal.

"Sorry, guess I'll never be a Chaser," Harry said with a shrug.

"Good one, Potter. I thought your family was meant to be good at Quidditch, or are you too much like your fake Dad now," Ron yelled, glowing red around his ears with anger.

"Hey!" Fred yelled, turning to face his brother. "That's out of line, Ron. Get off the pitch. Go back to the house." Ron hesitated and George flew over to him.

"Don't make me tell Mum, Ron," George said.

"Go stuff yourself," Ron said angrily. He flew down to the ground and stepped off it. He looked up at Fred and George then deliberately dropped it on the ground. George opened his mouth angrily but Fred huffed and he shut it.

"Yelling at him isn't going to make it any better," Fred said quietly. Harry frowned and flew down to the ground, dismounting from his broom. He picked up Ron's broom and went to the shed where the Weasley boys had told him they kept their brooms. He placed both brooms back gently, making sure they were set up so that they didn't bend. He left the shed and headed back up to the house, waving at Fred and George, who were passing the Quaffle back and forth.

"How did your game go?" Mrs Weasley asked from the kitchen table as Harry came back inside. Harry could see that she was grating vegetables for something.

"Good, thanks. I think we lost, though," Harry admitted sheepishly. "I'm not really good at aiming."

"Oh that's nothing to be ashamed of, Harry. These boys get a lot of practice on their Quidditch skills so they're better but they all had to start somewhere." Mrs Weasley paused, grating the carrots more slowly. "Ron came back inside a moment ago. Was he being unpleasant?"

"No ma'am. He was a little upset that he missed a shot, that's all," Harry lied smoothly, knowing that Ron would only be more unimpressed with him if he said otherwise.

"Hmm, poor Ron, he puts so much pressure on himself to be just like his brothers. I wish there was a way he could make the best of his differences," Mrs Weasley said softly and Harry could see the sadness in her eyes.

"I think Ron's more like Draco than he'd ever want to know, Mrs Weasley," Harry said with a small smile. She looked up, confused.

"You mean Lucius Malfoy's son?" She frowned. "I don't think they'd be very similar at all, Harry."

Harry could tell that Mrs Weasley thought that he was implying something bad so he quickly said, "Well, I've spent a lot of time with Draco recently, and he feels like he has to live up to his Dad's expectations to make him happy, even though his Dad isn't around anymore. And, well, maybe the expectations of everyone else as well? He's no more his Dad than I am James Potter," Harry finished quietly.

Mrs Weasley's eyes widened and she looked off in the distance, apparently thinking. Harry shrugged and headed up the stairs, trying to be quiet on the creaky ones. He made it up the stairs without incident but felt a prickle on the back of his neck as he went to open the door of the guest bedroom that Mrs Weasley had told him he could use. Harry turned around slowly, seeing Ginny, Fred and George's younger sister, poking her head out of her bedroom. Her hair was a darker red than her brothers but it still stood out as Harry smiled awkwardly at her. She had been hesitant towards Harry the entire time he'd been there and George had teased that she had a crush on him.

"Hi, Ginny," Harry said softly. Her eyes widened and her door slammed. Harry laughed and went into his room, pausing in shock at the sight of a House Elf bouncing on his bed.

"Um, who are you?" The House Elf squealed in surprise and turned around, tumbling off the bed as he lost his balance. Harry rushed forward to help him off the bed and was surprised when the Elf jumped backward quickly. "Woah, careful, I just wanted to help."

"Harry Potter is a kind wizard, to be helping a lowly House Elf," the Elf said, looking at Harry with bright eyes.

"You're not lowly." Harry frowned. "And who are you?"

"Dobby, Harry Potter, I am called Dobby," the Elf said.

"Hi, Dobby. What are you doing in here? The Weasley's don't have a House Elf," Harry asked softly, trying not to startle the jumpy elf.

"Dobby has come to warn Harry Potter. Oh, Dobby is going to have to iron his fingers but he came. He came because he must tell Harry Potter-" Dobby stopped, biting his lip. He suddenly jumped for the nightstand, grabbing the lamp and hitting himself over the head with it. "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

"Stop!" Harry hissed as he grabbed Dobby and the lamp in separate hands, wrenching it out of Dobby's hands. "Stop it!"

"Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter, but Dobby must punish himself. He is being a bad Elf," Dobby whined and clawed at the lamp again. Harry threw it out of Dobby's reach and let him down, putting a hand on each shoulder and holding him so that he was facing Harry.

"Enough, Dobby. Tell me what you came to tell me first, at least," Harry said, pleading in the end as Dobby continued to look around the room for something to punish himself with.

"Dobby has come to tell Harry Potter." Dobby paused. "Dobby has come to tell Harry Potter that terrible things are going to happen at Hogwarts and that he must. not. go. back."

Harry froze, looking at Dobby aghast. "Dobby, that's impossible." Dobby whined in distress again and Harry rushed to explain. "My Dad lives at Hogwarts during the year, all the people who can protect me stay there all year and if horrible things are going to happen, then I can't very well abandon my friends to it. Hogwarts is as much my home as the farm I live on is and I won't be safe anywhere else."

"No, Harry Potter can not go back!" Dobby said, breaking free with a strong shake and running over to Harry's desk. Harry hooked the back of Dobby's pathetic pillowcase uniform to stop him slamming his fingers in the drawer and growled in frustration.

"I have to go back to Hogwarts Dobby. I'm sorry that you're risking so much to warn me, but I can't stay at the farm all year. And I'm sorry, but if you don't leave, right now, I'm going to have to call Mrs Weasley and she's probably not going to be happy with you being here," Harry said, feeling guilty that he was semi-threatening this poor Elf.

Dobby regarded Harry with hurt eyes. "Dobby is trying to save Harry Potter. Hogwarts is dangerous."

"Dobby, I was beaten, starved and neglected for ten years. Nothing that whoever you heard these plans from is planning is going to have anything on the Dursleys. And even if they do, they probably haven't met my Dad when he's in a bad mood. Or Dumbledore. Or Professor Flitwick. Or Professor McGonagall. Whatever it is that is going to try to hurt Hogwarts this year, isn't going to stand a chance when my teachers get a hold of it. So please, I'll pass on your warning, I'll make sure they know it's dangerous. But I'm going back."

Dobby didn't answer, just regarding Harry quietly for a moment before Apparating out. Harry frowned, not being able to shake the feeling that it wouldn't be the last time he'd see the skinny, badly clothed little House Elf.

"Harry?" Mrs Weasley's call brought Harry to his feet, frowning at the new dent in the lampshade.

"Yes, Mrs Weasley," Harry said, cracking his door enough to see Mrs Weasley on the steps.

"It'd be best if you had your shower now, before the other boys come in, so that there's still hot water left for you. Your clean towel is in the bathroom, ready and waiting," Mrs Weasley said with a smile.

"Okay, Mrs Weasley." Harry paused, debating whether to tell her about Dobby or not. "I'll do that." There was always time to tell her afterwards.

* * *

><p>After his shower, Harry stood staring at the stairs up to the rest of the house, and ultimately, Ron's bedroom. He felt like he should go talk to the upset boy, maybe try and mend a bridge but he just didn't know what to say to Ron to change the boy's opinion of him. "Don't do it. Ron's in a foul mood."<p>

Harry turned in surprise and saw Ginny standing there. "How do you know?"

"He's been banging up and down the stairs while you were in the shower. He only does that when he's really angry," Ginny explained.

"You know, it's weird, he really liked me on the train. It was only once I got Sorted into Slytherin that he started to dislike me," Harry said, rubbing the back at his neck.

"Well, Dad's always told us that Slytherins were the ones who were the bad guys during the war and to find out that someone he actually liked was supposedly going to be a bad guy? Kind of more than my brother can take in," Ginny said, perching on the bench seat in the window. "He's the most loyal brother I've got but he's not exactly the best at figuring things out."

Harry laughed and looked up at the stairs again. "Okay, so how do I make it so that he doesn't hate me anymore, because it's getting slightly awkward?"

"You ignore him. You don't tell him he's wrong. And you talk Quidditch," Ginny said. "And, just, I don't know, try to keep your words simple. Hard to misunderstand." She shrugged and made her way past Harry and into the bathroom. He looked after her, frowning at the cruel implications in her voice. He had never considered that Fred and George's younger sister might be a little manipulative.

Harry shook his head and made his way down to his room, digging out his current novel from his bag. He thought about hiding in his room but the bright sunshine outside his window drew his attention. He went downstairs, listening to hear if the twins had returned from the pitch yet. From the sounds coming from the floors above him, they had. The boys had been "experimenting" all summer and Mrs Weasley had been up there to yell at them more than once in the last three days. Harry waved to her as he walked back out to the backyard and, once he was outside, picked a spot on which to sit and read in the sun.

* * *

><p>He'd been reading for about an hour, enjoying the quiet after three busy days in the Weasley household when he heard a crack like a car backfiring. Mrs Weasley had explained that that was what Apparating sounded like. He scrambled upward, wondering who had come to the Weasley's property when Mr Weasley wasn't expected home for another few hours. He smiled excitedly when he realised it was Remus. Mrs Weasley came out of the back door behind him, wiping her hands on a dish towel.<p>

Remus came closer and waved a greeting. "Good afternoon, Molly. Sorry for coming unexpectedly, but I thought it would be okay if I came to talk to catch up with Harry and drop off some things for Fred and George to look at?"

"Oh, of course, come in Remus," Mrs Weasley said, smiling and opening the back door to usher him in.

"Good afternoon, Harry, how are you settling in? Having fun?" Remus asked, coming forward to hug Harry. He hugged Remus back, wondering briefly why Remus had chosen today to come.

"Yeah, we play lots of Quidditch here," Harry said. Remus laughed and patted him on the back before following Mrs Weasley into the house. Harry grabbed his book from where it had fallen and followed them in, inhaling the smell of freshly baked goods appreciatively.

"You have perfect timing, Remus. I just took some scones out of the oven. They'll be ready to eat after you're done talking to the boys. They're in their room, Harry can show you where it is," Mrs Weasley said, turning to the tray she had lifted out of the oven.

"Come on Remus, it's upstairs," Harry said, jogging up the stairs. Remus followed him, moving up the stairs a lot easier than Harry had seen him before.

"Remus!" Fred and George said in unison as Harry opened their door and stepped through it. They bounced over to the door and crowded around Remus. Harry smiled as they happily chattered, telling Remus about their plans. The twins dragged them both into the room and were about to close the door when Ron poked his head around the door. The twins scowled and went to shoo him away but Remus held them back and smiled at Ron.

"Hi, we haven't met, have we?" Remus said, walking over and holding out his hand. "My name is Remus Lupin. I'm a friend of Harry's parents."

"Snape?" Ron muttered.

"No, James and Lily Potter. Though, I think, considering how prickly _Professor_ Snape usually is, you could consider me his friend as well," Remus said, in a tone that Harry knew meant that the gentle man was about to get angry.

"Oh. Okay," Ron said, and held out his hand to shake the one that Remus had withdrawn. Remus shook it, looking over the red-headed boy with a keen eye.

"Would you like to join us, Ron?" Remus was apparently ignoring the shaking heads behind him.

"Well, I was going to play chess. But yeah, whatever," Ron said, stepping through the doorway and shutting the door behind them.

The twins snorted, sounding miffed but Harry just scooted over on the twin bed that he knew belonged to Fred. Ron looked at the space he made and deliberately walked to the other side of the room and sat on George's bed. Remus' eyes watched the boy but he didn't comment as he sat down next to Harry. The twins rolled their eyes and then started talking again. Remus smiled at them and followed what they were saying, reading over the plans they'd put down on paper. He wrote some notes for them and Harry could see that in some cases he was making the pranks less likely to hurt somebody.

"You're no fun, Remus," The twins complained after twenty minutes of this back and forth.

"Boys, if I'm going to help you, then I'm going to be really honest with you. You can not find fun in hurting people. That is not a prank. A prank is something harmless that both people can find funny. Anything that hurts or humiliates someone, especially in public, is not a good joke. You can do a lot of damage to a person by doing those kind of acts. So don't do it, guys. Be funny, be the jokers, give your teachers Hell, but stop before you hurt someone, whether physically or mentally. And with that, I think I've corrupted you both far too much for today," Remus said, standing up. The twins both protested but Ron looked too deep in thought to realise what Remus was doing.

"Your mum said that she'd cooked scones," Harry said, smiling at the twins. They stopped protesting immediately.

"Beat you to the kitchen!" George cried as the twins bolted down the stairs. Remus followed them with a laugh. Harry looked at Ron, wondering what he was thinking.

"That's the difference between a bully and what the twins do, isn't it?" Ron murmured. "Dudley's a bully."

"Congratulations for figuring that out," Harry said, trying to use as little sarcasm as possible.

Ron glared at him and then scoffed and turned his head. "Screw you, Potter."

"I keep telling people this, it's Potter-_Snape_. Or, you know, since I'm living in your house right now, Harry." Harry shook his head and stood up, walking to the door. He turned back and looked at Ron. "When you want real friends who don't make you feel like crap for being you, feel free to stop being such a jerk."

Harry didn't look back, knowing that for Ron, it would take a while to reconcile what he was hearing with what he thought. Harry came down the stairs just in time to see Errol crash into the jam dish on the table. Harry joined the twins in a groan at the hijinks the owl caused.

"Oh look, it must be your Hogwarts letters. Here you go boys," Mrs Weasley said, taking the letters from Errol and handing Harry and the twins their letters. "I'll go take these up to Ginny, Ron and Percy."

"Woah," George breathed, looking at the second sheet of parchment.

"These aren't going to be cheap," Fred said, sharing a worried look with George.

Harry checked his booklist and his eyes widened. "Seven books by the same author," Harry said incredulously. "How are we meant to read all of those?"

"Which author?" Remus asked from his seat at the table.

"Gilderoy Lockhart, Mum's obsessed with him," George said, making a face.

Remus looked away for a moment and Harry knew that meant he was trying to hide his reaction. "I wonder which teacher decided to assign those books."

"Probably a witch who adores him as much as Mum does," Fred suggested.

"Or the person who wrote them," Harry added quietly. Fred and George turned to him with horrified looks.

"Don't say that, Harry. Just don't," Fred said, faking a gag. The joking ended when Molly came back down the stairs with the rest of the Weasleys.

* * *

><p><span>Severus POV<span>

Severus swore as he turned down onto Knockturn Alley, three days before September 1st. He had left Harry to the Weasley's care and instead he had received a desperate Floo call from a worried Molly Weasley after Harry's first solo Floo journey had gone array. He brushed off an insistent seller, trying to curb his frustration. He glanced around the alley, wondering whether he would even find Harry here. His searching was rewarded when he saw a group of street hawkers surrounding a small figure. One glimpse of black hair later, he was pulling Harry by the arm, snarling at a women who refused to let go of his arm.

"Dad!" Harry cried, looking relieved. "I got lost," He explained. "The Floo..."

"Yes, the Weasleys told me. Where did you come out?" Severus asked, leading Harry by the arm up towards the exit of Knockturn Alley.

"Borgin and Burkes," Harry answered. Severus stopped walking for an instance and looked down at Harry in shock. "Ow, Dad," Harry said flatly, looking down at his arm, which Severus had squeezed in shock.

Severus dropped Harry's arm and put his hand between Harry's shoulder blades, starting back towards Diagon Alley. "Did he see you?"

"Wha-, no!" Harry said, stumbling on an uneven paver.

"Did anyone see you go in or out?"

"No. But Dad, I saw Draco's Dad in there, and he was selling Mr Borgin something, I didn't see what and Mr Malfoy said something about raids on his house, like the ones Mr Weasley was doing," Harry babbled. Severus waited until they were in the entrance of the alley to grab his shoulder and turn him around to face him, putting his hand over his mouth to silence him.

"Enough, Harry. You say too much," Severus hissed, checking that they weren't being overheard. Severus took a deep breath, trying to calm the racing of his heart. "Do you know what Mr Malfoy would have done to you if he saw you in there? Don't tell anyone what you saw. Especially not your friends."

"But Dad," Harry said, looking upset.

"No, Harry. Knockturn Alley is not the place for young boys and anything you see or hear while you're down here is not to be talked about. So just don't. Don't tell Lupin either," Severus added as an afterthought.

Harry was opening his mouth to reply when he was interrupted by a familiar voice shouting their names. Severus looked up and saw Hagrid walking towards them, smiling his usual friendly smile. "G'morning Professor, how was your summer?"

"Good, thank you, Hagrid," Severus said, stepping back from Harry and turning towards the large man.

"Tha's good," Hagrid said, looking between the two Slytherins with a concerned expression. "What are yer doing down there, Professor?"

"Fetching Harry. He had an accident with the Floo," Severus explained. "And I'm sorry to cut this meeting short, Hagrid, but we need to be going. I haven't yet informed the Weasleys that I've found Harry, and they'll be worried."

"Righ' y'are, Professor," Hagrid said, nodding in agreement. "Be seein' yeh, Harry, Professor." Hagrid tipped his head to them and they shuffled their places in the alleyway so that the large man could go around.

"Bye, Hagrid. We'll come for tea when school starts," Harry promised with a wave. Harry's happy smile vanished when he turned back to Severus and his look turned both wary and stubborn.

"The Weasleys agreed to meet me at the Leaky Cauldron very soon so that we could check in. They'll be worrying about you and I need to go fetch Draco for his own school shopping." Severus didn't miss the sideways look that Harry gave him. "The Weasleys have all the money they'll need to pay for your supplies and we had planned to meet in the Leaky Cauldron for dinner after shopping. I didn't think it would be best to mix Draco and Ron Weasley, especially not in public. How have you and Mr Weasley been getting along?" Severus inquired, making sure to sound casually interested, instead of worried.

"Fine," Harry answered, not looking at Severus.

"Harry!" Severus sighed as he heard Hermione Granger's voice hail them down. Harry turned at once, just catching the girl as she flung herself at him for a hug.

"Hi, Hermione," Harry said, laughing.

"Oh, you're all dirty," Hermione said, stepping back and taking in the sight of Harry. "And your glasses are cracked. What happened?"

"I said the wrong name in the Floo," Harry explained with a shrug. Severus took out his wand and flicked it subtly, watching the crack on Harry's glasses fix themselves. Hermione glanced in his direction with a smile and then frowned in confusion when Harry didn't acknowledge the spell.

"Are you here shopping with your Dad?" Hermione asked, looking back up towards the top step of Gringotts. Severus noticed the Grangers standing there and realised that she was here doing her school shopping.

"I'm with the Weasleys but Dad came to look for me," Harry explained, waving hello to Hermione's parents.

"Honestly Harry, can't you go a week without getting into trouble?" Hermione said with exasperation.

"I'm beginning to wonder," Severus muttered. Harry's angry glance towards him was more reaction than Severus was expecting, but he merely folded his arms and raised his eyebrows.

"I've never Flooed on my own before. And I got soot in my mouth," Harry protested. Just as Hermione opened her mouth to answer, Severus spotted Molly Weasley and her family bustling up the Alley.

"Harry!" Molly called out happily, rushing up and hugging him with a relieved expression. "There you are. Oh gosh, look at you," Molly said, dusting Harry down so that the soot from the Floo fell off of him.

"Thanks Mrs Weasley. Sorry to scare you," Harry said. She smiled at him and patted him on both shoulders.

"Well it's all done with now, Harry. We're just glad that you're safe and sound," Molly assured him.

"Where did you come out?" Ron asked.

"Knockturn Alley," Harry answered.

"Brilliant," Fred and George breathed together.

"We've never been allowed down there," Ron explained.

"And are still not allowed down there," Molly said sternly.

"We know," the Weasley boys replied as one, impressing Severus.

"Now, we should let Professor Snape get back to his plans for today and get onto our shopping." Molly paused. "Who are you, dear?" Molly said, turning to Hermione.

"Mum, this is Hermione Granger," Fred started.

"She is, well she was, a first-year Gryffindor. And she's good friends with Harry," George finished.

"Oh that's nice, how do you do?" Molly answered.

Before Hermione could answer the question, Arthur asked, "Is that your parents? They look a little lost."

"Oh yes, it is. They're Muggles, so this is a bit overwhelming," Hermione explained, waving them over. Severus almost snorted at the way Arthur's expression lit up at hearing that he would get to talk to Muggles.

"I have to go collect Draco, so I will have to say goodbye for now and see you all at dinner later. Harry, have fun and don't get into any more trouble," Severus warned. Harry shot him a scandalised look that only a twelve year old could achieve. Severus paused, considering taking Harry aside to end their conversation on a better note since the flash of fear had receded and Severus was reconsidering his harsh manner. He chose not to, guessing that Harry would probably shrug him off and it would cause questions from Hermione.

Severus glanced back as he reached the bend in the Alley and saw that Harry's expression had smoothed out. He was turning back to look ahead when his eye caught the sign in the bookstore's window:

GILDEROY LOCKHART

will be signing copies of his autobiography

MAGICAL ME

today 12.30 – 4.30 pm

Severus quickly checked his watch and scowled. That attention-seeking bastard was going to be there when Harry was. And Severus definitely wouldn't put it past Lockhart to use Harry as a publicity stunt. Severus quickened his pace, intending on hurrying Draco back to the Alley so that he could keep an eye on the proceedings of the book signing.

* * *

><p><span>Harry POV<span>

Harry tried not to look terrified as Lockhart murmured in his ear that he should smile. The arm around his shoulders was too tight and constricting and he wanted badly to step back, twist away and run but that would create a scene. Mrs Weasley was smiling at him happily and Harry didn't want to embarrass her by being rude.

Harry felt a hand grasp his arm, much like his Dad had that morning and turned to see who was pulling him away from Lockhart. To his surprise, it was his Dad, looking icy. He stepped into the protective circle of his Dad's arm, feeling him give a quick, reassuring squeeze before stepping so that Harry was slightly behind him. "Mr Lockhart, my son would prefer to stay out of the public spotlight, if you please. And it is good manners to ask someone for permission before dragging them in front of a flashing camera." Severus' voice was quiet but full of menace, the unspoken threat evident in his posture and the black glare that was pinning Lockhart in spot.

"Professor Snape, surely the boy's guardians would have protested if he was going to be upset," Mr Lockhart said appealingly.

"I am Harry Potter-_Snape's_ guardian. And given that the boy in question is a twelve-year-old, surely you're aware that you would need his guardian's consent before publishing any photos of him?" This question was spat at the photographer, who at least had the grace to look ashamed. Lockhart, on the other hand, was looking as though he wasn't quite listening to what Severus was telling him.

"Well, perhaps to smooth over this little misunderstanding, Harry would like to receive my entire works, free of charge, as a gift," Lockhart said with a grin to the suddenly swooning crowd. "And I merely thought it appropriate to pose with a Hogwarts student as I made my surprise announcement." Lockhart paused for effect and Harry wrinkled his nose. "That I, Gilderoy Lockhart, take great pleasure and pride in announcing that, this September, I will be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

The crowd cheered while Harry gave a small groan and dropped his chin to his chest in disappointment. "Well, welcome to Hogwarts, then, Professor Lockhart," Severus said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It will be a great pleasure to show you the ropes around the castle after you arrive," Severus said, raising an eyebrow when Lockhart smiled and thanked him.

"Come, Harry," Severus said, drawing Harry down out of the limelight and back over towards the Weasleys. When the shopkeeper came over to give Harry the stack of books, he grimaced and dumped them into the cauldron that Ginny held.

"Here, I've already paid for my copies," Harry lied, not wanting to take any charity from Lockhart. Severus looked down at him, raising an eyebrow but Harry glared back defiantly. The way Severus had growled at him this morning still stung, making him too angry to be gratuitous for long.

"Jeez, Harry, can't go outside without drawing a crowd, can you?" Draco drawled as he appeared out of the crowd next to Harry.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Ron said, being oddly protective. While the older boy had been less hostile towards Harry after his revelation about bullies, he certainly hadn't shown any inclination towards acting like Harry's friend.

Harry gave a Ron a surprised look and put a hand on Draco's arm to stop him answering back. "Don't, Ron. Draco's joking."

"Mostly," Draco muttered under his breath.

"Not helping," Harry muttered back.

"Come on children, let's head outside while your Mum gets your books," Mr Weasley told them as he came up to the group.

"Can they even afford all these books?" Draco asked Harry quietly.

"Screw you, Draco," Ron spat. Apparently not quietly enough.

"Well, I'm just asking," Draco said peevishly.

"Draco, it's not polite to ask people about their money. Ron, Draco's a little rude but that's because he didn't get taught the right type of manners when he was a kid," Harry explained, trying to appease both of them as they exited the crowded store onto the bright alley.

"Well, well, well, your taste in company has certain degraded since your mother took you away, Draco," Harry heard a smooth voice say from off to his right. He whirled around, eyes widening, to see Lucius Malfoy.

"Father, I'm sorry, I didn't see you," Draco said, glancing at Harry nervously. Harry turned his head, looking for Severus.

"Well, of course not, Draco. You were blinded by the sea of red hair, freckles and shabby clothes," Mr Malfoy sneered. Harry saw Mr Weasley's ears turn red, the way Ron's did when he was angry.

"Lucius, perhaps it's time you moved on," Mr Weasley suggested in a tight voice.

"Dear me, is that the best you can afford, Arthur?" Mr Malfoy asked as he swung his cane forward to tap the second-hand cauldron that Ginny was using to carry her books with. "I would think that with all the overtime at the Ministry, you'd be able to afford better."

"I don't need any better, I'm not a snob," Ginny protested hotly.

"Well, then dear, if that's the best you've ever had, I suppose that is what you'd think," Mr Malfoy sneered. Arthur's face flushed like his ears and he sprung at Mr Malfoy, throwing a punch that snapped the other man's head around.

"Yeah! Get him, Dad!" The twins shouted as the men scuffled in the street. Harry pulled Ron and Draco back out of the way, watching with wide eyes and turning to see if he could spot Severus yet. Ron dragging him sideways refocused him back on the fighting men, who had stumbled towards them. The shouts and the noise from those watching made Harry wince and he felt his shoulders hunching in discomfort as the photographer from the bookstore rushed outside to see what the commotion was about.

As Severus pushed past where the children stood, Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Severus grabbed the back of Lucius' robes in one hand, pulling the struggling man backwards, away from Mr Weasley. Once there was a gap between the two men, Severus put a hand on Mr Weasley's chest, stopping him from reaching towards Mr Malfoy again.

"Enough." Severus' voice was no louder than it normally was but it stopped the men just as it stopped a class of unruly students. Arthur stopped struggling and backed off, looking sheepishly at Mrs Weasley. Mr Malfoy, on the other hand, swept his hands down his body as if to brush off his clothes and regained his haughty expression.

"Severus. Weasley," Mr Malfoy said with a curt nod to each of them. He glared at Draco, pining him with a terrifying look, before walking away up the Alley.

"Fighting in the street, what on Earth was the point?" Mrs Weasley was scolding Mr Weasley. "And in front of company?!"

Harry exchanged impressed looks with Fred and George, laughing quietly. "That's not funny, boys," Hermione scolded them as she ducked over to them, looking unimpressed.

"It kind of is, Granger," Draco smirked. "It was probably the most embarrassing thing to happen to my father, except of course for my mother leaving him."

Ron looked over and caught Draco's eye and Harry could tell that Ron was holding in a laugh. "You boys are all so immature," Hermione huffed.

"Sorry, Hermione," Harry said, smirking at her as he tried not to laugh. Severus looked over at them severely and the boys quickly sobered their expressions.

"Have you bought all of the things on the lists, Mrs Weasley?" Severus asked, drawing her attention away from scolding her husband.

"Oh yes, and Hermione has as well, we've been showing her parents around Diagon Alley," Mrs Weasley said, regaining her pleasant demeanour as she turned away from her chastised husband.

"In that case, perhaps we should move our dinner forward?" Severus asked the adults, discreetly keeping an eye on all the children.

"I think that would be a splendid idea, Severus," Mrs Weasley replied. She gestured towards all the children and they gathered round, Ginny linking hands with Hermione as they started walking towards the pub. Harry noticed Draco hesitate and look to Severus for guidance as the group moved off so he tugged on his arm, trying to ignore the twinge at seeing Draco get along so well with his Dad.

Severus, however, seemed to be more interested in talking to Harry. "Harry, can I have a word?" Severus asked, holding onto Harry's arm to stop him walking any further. "I thought we could talk about earlier?"

Harry set his jaw and looked away. He knew that his anger was a little unfair but he really hadn't meant to make the mistake with the Floo and his Dad's over-reactions were starting to get to him. He noticed that there were people staring at him and looking between him and his Dad. He rubbed at his scar agitatedly and instead chose to stare at eye height on Severus.

"Harry," Severus said, taking his arm and leading him over to the side of the Alley. "About this morning-"

"It's fine, Dad," Harry said, shaking his arm free. "It doesn't matter."

"Harry," Severus said, and Harry could practically hear the frown.

"Dad, you were right to be angry," Harry said, defensively. "I shouldn't have been down Knockturn Alley, even if it was a mistake."

"It was a mistake, Harry. And it's a mistake that many wizarding children have made before. In fact, I'm sure Mrs Wealsey could tell you many stories about her boys. And I was wrong to yell. I was wrong to be angry at you," Severus said, sounding as sorry as Harry had heard him sound all summer. Harry glanced at him, noticing the small signs of distress in his expression, and then looked away stubbornly. "If you don't want to talk about it, then that's okay. We should catch up with the Weasleys," Severus said, gesturing so that Harry knew he should walk in front of him. Harry went, making a face at the unhappy feeling the conversation had brought up.

He stopped walking and shrunk back against his Dad as Gilderoy Lockhart emerged from an alleyway, talking to the bookstore owner. Severus noticed a second after Harry did and put a protective arm around Harry's shoulders. "I'm talking to Professor Dumbledore tomorrow when I return to grounds, and I'll make sure Lockhart can't hassle you any more. He won't allow Lockhart to make you uncomfortable."

"Even if I'm still angry at you?" Harry asked, quietly.

"Even if you're still angry at me," Severus said, taking his arm from Harry's shoulders once they were past the overly-friendly man. As they came up to the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, Harry spotted Draco and Hermione standing together outside.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Nothing, we're waiting for you," Draco said.

"And Draco didn't want to be surrounded by Weasleys," Hermione said, tossing her hair and smirking at him.

Draco glared at her as Harry snorted, glad to see Hermione teasing Draco the same way she teased Harry and Teddy. "How's it been at the farm?" Harry asked Draco.

"Lupin's horse threw him off. Twice," Draco said. "And Severus and Lupin fought, three times, loudly," He added with a smirk at Severus.

"And what did I tell you about telling Harry about that?" Severus said, raising an eyebrow at Draco.

"You told me not to tell but Mum told me to be more honest," Draco said. "Who am I meant to listen to?"

Hermione giggled and pulled Draco through the archway to the pub. "Stop teasing your godfather, Draco."

"But it's so fun, Hermione," Draco whined. "And easy," He added with a wink at Harry.

"Remind me again why I let you come to my house," Severus said, though Harry knew that he was just pretending to be angry.

"Because you love me," Draco said then fell quiet as the Weasleys turned.

"Tom is going to find us a table that's big enough for all of us," Mrs Weasley said. "We thought the kids could order their drinks and then by the time we're seated they'll be ready."

Harry gave his drink preference when asked and then shrunk behind Hermione and Draco when some of the patrons at the bar turned to stare at him. Hermione glared at one women in particular who wouldn't look away, making her look at her feet. "So Harry, I got your letter," Hermione started.

Harry turned with wide eyes and 'shooshed' her. He hadn't even thought to bring up Dobby to his Dad yet and he didn't want Severus knowing that he'd talked to Hermione first. "I don't think Teddy wanted us to talk about that, Hermione," Harry said, raising his eyebrow so that she'd get the hint.

"Oh, right, it was kind of embarrassing for him," Hermione said, smiling at him. Draco looked over, interested, but Harry shook his head at him.

"What did Nott do now?" Draco asked, not taking the hint.

"None of your business, Draco," Harry said, glaring at him.

"What's none of Malfoy's business?" Ginny asked, nudging her way into the small circle.

"Something that we don't want to talk about," Hermione said, looking sideways at the girl she'd only just met. "Have you thought about what your favourite class is going to be, Ginny?"

"Well, I think Transfiguration or Charms," Ginny said shyly. "Though I think Potions is going to be good as well," Ginny added when she looked at Professor Snape.

"If you spend any amount of time with Fred and George, you'll probably like Potions very much," Hermione said. "They're surprisingly good at it, considering."

"Oh, thank you, Hermione. We didn't realise you'd noticed," Fred said, mussing up Ginny's hair.

"Well, most of your pranks involve some sort of potion or mixture of ingredients, so if you apply your grasp of theory to your potions practice, then it stands to reason that you should be quite good at potions," Hermione explained.

"And, you overthought it," Fred said, rolling his eyes.

Hermione looked at Fred with a confused look and turned back to Draco and Harry. Harry glanced at Draco with wide eyes and then smiled sweetly at Hermione. "Not touching that one, huh, Harry?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms.

"I don't even know what Fred meant," Harry said. He jumped slightly when his Dad snorted and turned to look at him. Severus just raised his eyebrows at Harry, and then turned to talk to the Grangers.

Harry turned back just in time for Hermione to punch him in the arm. "Ow!"

"You deserved it," she said, poking her tongue out and tossing her hair as she walked over to Percy, who was sitting in a bar stool and looking pained.

"That was, unexpected," Harry said, rubbing his arm.

"Hermione's been meeting Rachael every week to catch up," Fred said. "Seems like she's rubbing off on her."

Harry looked at him, feigning horror. "Yeah, that's not going to work out well for us."

Tom came up and showed them to their table before Fred could answer and Harry ended up seated between Ron and Severus. He picked at his food when it came, too distracted by the things he was feeling towards his Dad to really feel hungry. But what food he did eat was tasty and the atmosphere was warm and happy. Harry even noticed Ron and Draco stop glaring at each other and was pleasantly surprised when Ginny managed a full conversation about Quidditch with him. And if Harry felt a little guilty for not forgiving his Dad straight away or for not telling him about Dobby straight away, then it wouldn't hurt to ignore those feelings for a little longer and talk to his Dad later.

**Next up: September 1st!**


	8. Chapter 8

**So, not a huge chapter, but I was writing all day so I decided to stay up and finish the chapter there. I've also started a new story with the promised outtake scene/s of the Dursley's week at the farm, so there's that to read as well. **

**I forgot to mention in my other update that this author will soon be the proud owner of a Wizard's Collection Box Set, which is really exciting and I can't wait because OMG! It's so cool :) I can't wait to get a look at the production sketches, extended features and maps of Hogwarts which come with it!  
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**As always, not mine, just my sandbox.  
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The craziness of the Weasley household when they were running late was distressing to Harry. Everywhere he looked, there was another person running around or yelling or throwing something. He had packed his stuff up quietly, after spending the night in Ron's room, talking about all the things that they were looking forward to about being back at Hogwarts. He'd been sitting, feeling lost, in the lounge room for about ten minutes, wondering how to be useful.

"Harry, we're getting in the car now," Mr Weasley said, poking his head through the door. Mr Weasley stopped for a moment, looking at Harry and how his bag was sitting at his feet. "Are you alright, son?"

"Yes sir," Harry said.

Mr Weasley laughed. "You don't have to call me sir, Harry. Mr Weasley or even Arthur is fine."

Harry smiled and nodded, "Thanks, Mr Weasley."

Mr Weasley looked at Harry with a sympathetic expression and then turned his head as he heard Mrs Weasley call for him. "I better go see what Molly wants. Can you take your bag out to the car and then stay out there near the car? It'll help if we can keep everyone out there so that we're all together."

"Okay," Harry said, picking up his bag. He slipped the strap of the bag over his shoulder and walked out of the lounge room door after Mr Weasley. As he came out of the door, Ginny rushed past him, screaming at George about something. Harry shook his head and followed her down the hallway, though he turned so that he was going out of the front door. When he got to the blue Ford Anglia, which Ron had told him could fly, he dropped his bag next to the boot. Since there was no one else at the car, Harry boosted himself up to sit on the trunk.

Ron was the first to appear, lugging Hermes' cage and muttering under his breath. He dumped his trunk with Harry's bag and placed Hermes' cage up on top of the trunk next to Harry. "Are you the only other person ready?"

"Apparently," Harry said with a smile. Ron snorted and then sat on top of his trunk.

Twenty minutes later, all the Weasleys had made it to the car and all the luggage was packed. Mrs Weasley had spent those last minutes rushing around, stressing about the fact that they were running late, but everyone else seemed much more laid back than they'd been half an hour before. The drive to London was quiet, with Ginny falling asleep on Mrs Weasley's lap and Fred and George reading out of Gilderoy Lockhart's book in comedic voices.

Harry shook himself back to full wakefulness as they approached Kings Cross Station, threading through traffic. Once there, Mrs Weasley started bossing everyone around and instructing them to get their stuff and look after all their things. "Fred and George, look after Ginny, Percy, go first and make sure everyone gets on the train," Mrs Weasley instructed. The boys nodded and Fred and George moved so that they were flanking Ginny.

Once they reached the barrier, Percy went through first with his owl on the trolley. Fred and George took Ginny through and Mrs Weasley gestured that Ron and Harry should follow the adults through before going through with Mr Weasley. Once Mr and Mrs Weasley had gone through, Harry nodded and Ron and they walked together up to the barrier, making sure to stay casual looking. They'd picked up a little speed to go through and so, when they hit the now solid brick wall, it was enough of a shock to make them let go of the trolleys. Ron's almost hit one of the waiting trains and Harry's tipped over next to the barrier, spilling his bag onto the cement.

"What the?" Ron said, looking up from where he'd fallen on the floor. "Why can't we get through?"

"I don't know," Harry said, rubbing his knee. "Isn't it supposed to stay open? Why isn't it letting us through?" Harry looked over and saw the clock strike 11 o'clock. "Oh no, the train's gone. It leaves at 11, it's gone, we're not getting to Hogwarts, Ron, what are we going to do?"

"Harry, if we can't get through, then are my parents going to be able to get back?" Ron asked. Harry looked at him with wide eyes, breathing fast. He couldn't be late to Hogwarts, Severus would think he was going to run away, and last time they'd talked he'd still been angry. Couldn't happen.

"Your parents will come back. They have to. They can Apparate, can't they? They'll know we didn't get on the train and they'll come find us." Harry got up, pulling Ron to his feet and grabbing his bag. "Get your trunk, we'll go sit by the car and wait for them."

"Harry, the car," Ron breathed. "It flies. The twins took it out before you came. We could fly to Hogwarts."

Harry's eyes widened as he considered the crazy idea. It would be dangerous, and rash, and all those things Severus was always telling him not to be. But maybe, if they got to Hogsmeade before the train, then no one would know they were missing. Or that they'd missed the train. "Yeah, let's do that. Come on, Ron, we can catch the train."

Ron and Harry rushed out of the station, ignoring the odd looks from the security guards. Once they reached the car, they loaded their luggage into the boot and Ron sat in the driver's seat. Once he'd started the car, he hit a button on the dash and the car started to float upward. Harry looked at the car in amazement, still trying to comprehend all that magic could do. It wasn't until they were ten feet off the ground that Harry remembered. "Um, Ron, Muggles aren't really used to seeing floating cars."

"Oh, right, it's got an Invisibility Booster. Just hit that button there," Ron said, pointing to a button on the dash in front of Harry. Harry hit it, watching the car around him in shock as it turned invisible before his eyes. Even after using the Invisibility Cloak, it was still freaky to watch things completely disappear around him. The car went higher still, until they were so high that London looked tiny.

"Okay, so all we have to do is fly over the station and then find the track that the train uses. If we're careful, we should be able to catch the train and get to Hogwarts at the same time as the train," Harry said happily. "Oh, there's the train!"

"Yeah, it'll be awesome. And we'll have a great story to tell at school," Ron said, steering the car so that it was over the track.

"Or not," Harry said. "I don't know about your Mum but Severus will go absolutely spare if he finds about this," Harry reminded Ron. "And I'd like to live through the rest of this week."

"Oh yeah," Ron said. He looked over at Harry and gave him a sheepish look. "We can't tell my Mum either. She'll be even worse."

"So we don't tell anyone, deal? As far as anyone knows, we were on the train, but none of our friends saw us," Harry said.

"Deal," Ron agreed. Suddenly, the car flickered and then reappeared around them. "Oh, no!"

"What's going on?" Harry said, hitting the Invisibility Booster. When the car didn't go invisible again, Ron drove the car into a cloud bank, masking it from view.

"The Invisibility Booster must be faulty. We'll have to stay in the clouds. I'll go a little higher," Ron said. He accelerated so that the car's nose tilted upwards and sooner than Harry thought, they were through the cloud bank and into the bright sunshine. They stayed that high for a while, talking about how jealous their friends were going to be when they got to Hogwarts and told them about it. The conversation started off a little awkward but soon both boys were laughing and joking. They checked the train every hour, making sure that they hadn't lost the path.

They'd been flying for a few hours when Harry realised that it wasn't the most comfortable way to travel. His mouth was dry and his t-shirt was sticking to his chair with sweat in the bright sun. Ron seemed to be uncomfortable as well and his next check on the train was sooner than the one before. Harry's eyebrows raised when the car started to whine, sounded sick.

"It's probably just tired," Ron said. "It's probably never been this far before..."

Harry was looking sideways at Ron in worry when he spotted the turrets of the castle on the horizon. "Look, Ron, we're almost there," Harry said, pointing. Ron breathed a sigh of relief and dropped the car lower.

"My brother's told me that there's nothing around Hogwarts for miles, because of the Muggle-Repelling Charms. So we'll be safe flying a little lower for the rest of the trip," Ron explained. Harry nodded enthusiastically, worried about the whine that was growing louder. Surely it wouldn't be too long to Hogwarts.

The whine had grown so loud that Harry and Ron couldn't talk, and it was dark outside, when Harry realised that they were flying over Hogsmeade station. Ron had the Anglia pointed over the gates that were looming in front. Harry guessed that it was late enough that they hadn't managed to beat the train, but hopefully they weren't running too late. He was just thinking about how they would manage to sneak into the Feast when the engine stopped whining.

"Ron..." Harry said. He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as the car suddenly dropped towards the ground. "Watch that tree!"

Ron swore as the car scraped the top of one tree and then slammed into another. He pulled out his wand and tapped the dash, commanding the car to start. Harry heard a strange sound and turned to look just in time to duck as a branch came flying through the front windshield. It just missed him and he stared as it withdrew from the car for another strike.

"Start, start, start, start!" Ron was yelling, banging the dash with his wand. Harry was just about to tell him to give up when Ron's wand snapped in two, leaving the other boy wide eyed with shock. Ron yelled as another branch punched through his window, barely missing impaling him. "Harry!" Harry reached back to the pet cages on the back, hearing Hermes screeching in owlish terror and Scabers squealing. He could reach Hermes to let him out and another branch attacked rocked the car, throwing Harry against his door. He tried opening it, meaning to jump from the car, but it wouldn't opened. He'd just spun around to kick it open with his legs when the car suddenly fired to life again. It shot backwards out of the tree, just as a huge branch came crashing down onto the front of the car.

Harry yelped as he bumped his head and then squealed as the car seats tipped, ejecting them roughly. Harry hit the ground with a groan and rolled over quickly, eyes watching for tree branches.

"Harry?" Ron yelled from where he'd fallen.

"I'm alright," Harry called back, picking himself up off the ground. He walked over to where the car had dropped the bags before driving itself off and picked up his. He checked on Scabbers in his cage and gave him to Ron when Ron came over to him. Hermes' cage had burst open as it landed and he'd flown away, screeching angrily.

"What the hell was that?" Ron asked.

"I don't know. I'll ask Dad later. But now, I think we'd best get inside before any more of the trees decide to, I don't know, KILL US!" Harry finished in a yell, starting to freak out just a little bit.

Ron looked at him, pale and eyes wide, and then nodded. "Yeah, we should go in. We're missing the feast."

They scrambled up the hill to the castle, where the Great Hall's brightly lit windows cast squares of light on the ground. Ron asked Harry if they could stop and have a look, to see if they'd missed the Sorting yet. Harry gave Ron a boost up to the window ledge and then clambered up after him.

"Look, she's sitting under the hat, right now," Ron said.

"Where do you think she'll get Sorted?" Harry asked Ron.

"Well, Gryffindor, of course," Ron said, looking at Harry strangely.

"You don't think Slytherin?" Harry asked. "Ginny's pretty sneaky and she's ambitious too. She might like it in Slytherin."

Ron gave Harry a look that told him he should shut up, immediately. Harry shrugged and looked back into the Hall.

"Severus isn't in the Hall," Harry breathed. Ron looked at him weirdly and then paled as he realised.

"He wouldn't be looking for you, would he?" Ron asked.

"No, of course not," An icy voice drawled. "He's not at all concerned that his son and his young friend have been missing for five hours and are now sitting outside the Great Hall they are meant to be inside." Harry looked at Ron in dread before turning around to see his Dad standing behind them with arms crossed and a very unimpressed look on his face.

"Inside, now," Severus hissed. He pointed towards the doors to the castle and stood aside until the two boys had started walking toward the doors. He didn't say a word as they walked into the castle and through the Welcome Hall. "I'm sure neither of you need directions to my office," Severus said when they looked to him for directions.

"No sir," Harry said, rolling his shoulders back anxiously as he walked down the stairs into the dungeons. Ron had to stop to look around but Harry led the way to the office that was Severus'. The décor hadn't changed, though it was missing the huge piles of paperwork that had possessed it all last year.

"Sit. Down," Severus said, haltingly. Harry sat quickly, looking at his knees. "I have seen hundreds of stupid stunts committed by students over my years as Head of Slytherin, but this has to the most idiotic, foolhardy thing I have ever seen a student do. What on Earth possessed you?"

"It wasn't, we didn't mean it, the barrier," Ron started to explain but Severus cut him off with a hiss and a held up hand.

"What did you do with the car?" Ron gulped and looked Harry quickly. "Nothing to say?" Severus asked dangerously. Harry shook his head. "You were seen," Severus hissed, holding up a newspaper. MUGGLES BAFFLED BY FLYING FORD ANGLA read the headline. Harry cringed and shrunk down in his chair. "Six or seven Muggles in all saw a flying blue car and reported it to Muggle authorities. Imagine the Ministry's surprise when they realised that the car in question belonged to one of their own; Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, isn't it, Mr Weasley?"

"Dad, we," Harry started, only to be interrupted by his Dad hissing, "Silence!"

"I have never been more disappointed in any two students. Why would you have even thought that flying that car would be a good idea? And driving it into the Whomping Willow? What were you thinking?" Severus asked, pacing behind his desk.

Harry thought about trying to explain again but didn't know if his Dad would let him talk. When Severus lent against the desk and crossed his arms, obviously waiting for an answer, Harry risked trying again. "The gate wouldn't let us through. We couldn't get onto the platform and the train left," He explained.

"So, instead of waiting for Mr and Mrs Weasley to return, you decided to _fly a car _to Hogwarts?" Severus asked, his voice deadly calm.

"Sir, I think, well, we panicked. We thought that our parents wouldn't be able to get back through the barrier and Harry was freaking out," Ron explained.

Severus eyebrow raised sceptically. "Percy Weasley informed his parents that he'd left his owl behind in the car. We found his cage out on the lawn as well as your luggage. Did you not think to, I don't know, send him with a letter? Or wait, and see if your parents returned?"

Both boys remained silent, knowing that there wasn't really a good answer to the question. "Indeed," Severus said. He looked away and shook his head, looking more disappointed than Harry had ever seen him. He was prevented from saying anything more by a knock at the door. "Enter."

The door opened to admit Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall was tight-lipped, looking so angry Harry was almost scared of her. Professor Dumbledore's emotions didn't show on his face, but Harry guessed that he was disappointed as well. "Oh, Severus, thank goodness you found them," Professor McGonagall said.

"Safe and sound," Severus drawled, glaring at both of them. "Since I am rather biased when it comes to Harry, Professor McGonagall will be the one deciding your punishment. Though, I must admit, expelling the both of you would be very satisfying right now."

Ron looked up at the angry expression on Professor McGonagall's face. "I guess we'll go get our stuff then."

"And why would that be, Mr Weasley?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Because if Professor Snape wants to expel us, then you probably do to," Ron explained.

"Well, first, Professor Dumbledore and I would like to hear the story, from the start," Professor McGonagall said.

Harry let Ron explain, noticing that Professor Dumbledore's expression had turned grave after taking in the sight of the two boys. When Ron had finished, Professor McGonagall looked disbelieving and Professor Dumbledore looked even more solemn.

"This was a grievous infraction of both the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Magic and the International Code of Wizarding Secrecy," Professor Dumbledore started. "And while I know that Professor McGonagall will definitely be able to assign a punishment that is suitable to this act, I would like to add that I am very disappointed in you and that you will both be on very thin ice this year. Any more wilful rule breaking, and I'm sorry, but I will have to insist on your expulsion," Dumbledore finished. Harry cringed and looked back down at his knees, wondering if he could possibly feel any worse. He nodded to both of the teachers and left the office.

"I am highly disappointed in both of you. I thought that you, at least, Harry, might have gained some wisdom from living with your Dad. Instead, I find that you are still making rash decisions and putting yourself in immeasurable danger," Professor McGonagall said. "For punishment, you will have a week of detention and you will write letters of apology to every person who was put in distress by your actions tonight. Mr Weasley, I'll be writing to your parents tonight, and I'll expect they'll have something to say about it as well." Ron had shrunk down in his chair with a groan. "Now, Mr Weasley, did you realise that you're bleeding?"

"Wha-, no," Ron said, putting his hand to his head and then looking at it. "Oh, look at that."

"To the hospital wing, Mr Weasley. Madame Pomfrey will give you a plate of food from the Feast when you go up. Mr Potter-Snape, I'm leaving you to the tender mercies of your Dad. Whether he adds any punishments to mine are his decision, but they won't be with the authority of a teacher." Harry got the feeling that this last was a reminder to his Dad, who had been standing stock still against his desk since the other Professors had entered the room. Ron seemed to sense his dismissal and stood up, getting to his feet.

"Goodnight, Professor Snape, Harry," Professor McGonagall said, holding the door for Ron to exit.

"Of all the stupid, crazy things to do," Severus muttered after the door closed. He was still tense and apart from a glance upwards, Harry didn't feel much like moving from his seat. "You're grounded for a month. You go to class, you go to detention and you go to meals. Then you come back to our quarters and you do your homework and you go to bed. You get no visitors, even if it's Lupin and you don't go to visit anyone either."

Severus looked up to check if Harry understood and Harry nodded quickly. "I understand. I'm sorry."

"Trixie has probably put food in my quarters for you. If she hasn't, call for her and she'll fetch you some. I need to go see to my House," Severus said, pointing at the door into their quarters. Harry stood up, rubbing at his jeans nervously and then stepped forward to hug his Dad quickly around the waist. Severus' hand came down to rest on his head briefly and then his Dad stepped to the side, disengaging from the hug. "Go eat, Harry, I'm sure you're hungry." Harry nodded and then walked quickly through the door into their quarters.

Aiko greeted him with a loud miaow from the lounge and curled around his legs as he walked into the familiar room. He noticed the plate of food on the table, obviously Trixie's work, before he spotted something different on the bookcase. He walked over to it, wondering why the photo frames had changed, when he realised what it was he was looking at. Where previously there had been multiple photos of Severus and Lily or frames containing quotes that Harry didn't know, there was now three photos of Harry. The first frame had a picture that Harry thought Professor McGonagall may have taken, of Harry and Severus playing chess in the Great Hall last Christmas. The second was Harry and his friends on the last day of school, waving from the train. The third was one Harry hadn't seen yet, a candid taken over the summer. Harry and Severus were sitting on his bed at the farm, both heads bent over the photo album that Hagrid had made for him, filled with pictures of his parents and Severus. Harry hadn't even noticed Lupin taking the photo.

His stomach growling tore his attention from the picture and he grabbed the plate of food from the table. He thought briefly about sitting at the table but decided against it and curled up on the couch instead. There, he picked at his food, drinking in the magical atmosphere of Hogwarts. It was comforting and strange all at the same time, bringing back all the comforting memories from the last school year.

Harry had been sitting there in silence for almost an hour when the door to their quarters opened and Severus came in. Harry lifted his head from where it leant sleepily on the lounge arm, and looked questioningly at his Dad. "There are 12 new Slytherins this year. Eight girls and four boys. Abigail, the one in your year, she didn't come back. Apparently, her family moved to Italy over the summer and she is attending a school there. Theodore asked after you. You are not to let him gloat over the car. If I hear him gloating, he'll join you in detention," Severus finished threateningly.

"I won't. I know it was stupid. Actually, I think I knew it was stupid before we even did it," Harry said. Severus raised his eyebrow and gave Harry a derisive look.

"I'm not even going to touch that one until I've eaten. If you're tired, you should go to bed," Severus said.

"I'm not that tired, really. Just kind of quiet," Harry explained. Severus fixed him with a look and Harry realised why his Dad was saying it. "But you want me to go to bed. Because you're angry with me."

Severus looked away as Harry finished talking. "Harry," Severus began.

"No, it's alright, I'll go. Maybe I am tired after all," Harry said. He stood up from the couch and stooped to pick up Aiko. "Can I have Aiko for the night?"

"If she'll stay with you," Severus said, sounding defeated. "I'll come in and check on you once I've eaten."

Harry nodded and walked into his bedroom, dumping Aiko on the bed. He smiled when he saw his trunk on the floor next to his bed and the bag that he'd taken to the Weasleys on top of his trunk. He dug into it to pull out his pyjamas and changed into them quickly, wincing as he twinged some bruises from the tree's attack. He picked up his toiletries and ducked into the bathroom, brushing his teeth quickly.

He was lying down in bed, sketching what London had looked like from the sky, when his door opened and Severus looked in on him. "Not tired?"

"Not really. I wanted to finish this sketch first," Harry said, sitting up and holding up the pad to show Severus.

"Is that a map?" Severus asked, coming up to his bedside and taking the pad from him.

"It's London. From the car," Harry said, softly, knowing that it might make his father angry again.

"Ah. It does indeed look like London. Can I ask you a question, Harry?" Severus said, sitting on the edge of Harry's bed.

Harry gave his Dad a inquiring look as permission to ask away.

"You said you knew better. So why didn't you owl me? Why didn't you wait for the Weasleys?" Severus asked.

Harry looked at his knees again, realising that he didn't really want to answer those types of questions. Severus put two fingers under his chin to tilt his head up again and raised an eyebrow. "I panicked. I thought, well, it's really stupid, but I thought you'd think I'd run away and I was thinking about the other day and how stubborn I was being," Harry rambled. Severus' finger moved to go across Harry's lips, silencing him and Severus moved so that he was sitting back against the headboard with Harry.

"I was wrongly angry out of fear, that day in Diagon Alley. I shouldn't have yelled. I was merely scared that Mr Malfoy would seek to silence you if he knew you'd overheard what was probably a very private conversation. You were right to be angry. And if you're stay angry about things sometimes, then that's okay as well. Not to mention that it wasn't the easiest of days for you. But Harry, surely, even if you couldn't see it then, you can see now that I was just as worried hearing that you were missing, if not more, as I would have been if I'd thought you'd run away?" Severus asked., brushing the hair back from Harry's forehead.

"I can. And I'm sorry," Harry said, leaning into his Dad.

"I know. Perhaps we should talk of happier things. Are you looking forward to tomorrow? The start of a new school year?" Severus asked.

"Yeah, a lot more than I was last year," Harry admitted. "I can't wait to see Teddy again."

"You saw him not one week ago," Severus said. "I hoped you looked forward to seeing me again as much," Severus teased.

"Of course I did. Dad, I really missed you," Harry admitted, hugging him and breathing in the scent of potions that clung to his Dad. "But it's different seeing Teddy at school. At home, it's like being in the dorms all the time. At school, I get to see a different side of him. And oh, Quidditch," Harry said as he remembered.

"Yes, Quidditch," Severus drawled. "I really should ban you from the tryouts as punishment but since Ron Weasley won't be banned, it would be unfair."

"It would, Dad, please, don't do that," Harry pleaded. Severus smirked at him and Harry shoved at him good-naturedly. "That's mean, Dad."

"Hmm, not really," Severus said.

"Do you think I have a chance?" Harry asked, going back to a serious thought.

"At tryouts?" Severus clarified. When Harry nodded, he said, "I think that you are a very good flyer and that you have been practising most of the last year in order to be a good flyer. I also think that there are good flyers on the Quidditch team already and that you shouldn't be too disappointed if you don't make it on the team. But you should definitely try, Harry," Severus assured him.

"I want to, but, I don't have a broom," Harry said slowly. The students on the Quidditch team all flew on their own brooms, even the Weasley twins. Without a broom, Harry wouldn't even qualify. And it hadn't occurred to him to ask for something so expensive for his birthday. Severus looked down at him, looking like he was thinking about something.

"I probably shouldn't be telling you this on the night that you did something so horrible, but your Aunt Narcissa sent me a package today," Severus began. Harry looked at him, confused. "She was broom-shopping for Draco, mostly because he insisted, and thought of you, and the fact that she hadn't sent you a birthday present yet, while she was out." Severus paused for a moment, waiting to see if Harry would figure out his point. Harry couldn't, so he shook his head in confusion. "She sent you a broom, Harry. A Nimbus Two Thousand, like the one you saw in Diagon Alley and told Ginny about." Harry sat up in amazement, scattering his sketchpad from his lap.

"Really?" Harry asked, sitting up eagerly. Severus smiled indulgently and pointed at the closet. Harry vaulted over Severus' legs and scrambled over to the closet. He opened it, quickly, taking in the sight of his new broom. "It's awesome. Did you tell Aunt Narcissa thank you from me?"

"I thought that a letter from you might be more appreciated, so I left that task to you. She'll probably Floo over tomorrow, as she was planning on giving Draco his new broom then as well. So you may even get the chance to thank her in person," Severus said.

"I will, lots, thank you," Harry said, lifting his broom up to inspect it. "When can I fly it?"

"Tomorrow, after class. You can tell Teddy about it tomorrow. And I'm sure Flint will be interested. Now, my delinquent child, you need to go to bed, or you'll never wake up in time for class. And I won't be the one dragging you out of bed," Severus said, standing up and motioning for Harry to get back in bed. Harry smiled, put his broom down, and then walked over to the bed. He hopped up and shifted around so that he was sitting with his sketchbook back on his lap. "No, no sketching."

"It helps me sleep," Harry protested.

"Potions help you sleep, and I have yours here. How did you sleep without it?" Severus asked, getting a potion vial out of his pocket and holding it out to Harry.

"Not good. Does that mean I'm becoming dependent on it, like Madame Pomfrey said I might?" Harry asked.

"Not necessarily. It might just mean that you're still a stressed twelve year old with the weight of the world on your shoulders," Severus said gently, taking the now empty potion vial and Harry's glasses from Harry. Harry lay down, turning onto his side so that he could still face his Dad. "Go to sleep, Harry, and sleep well for tonight. I'll check with Madame Pomfrey tomorrow about whether we should vary the dosage." Severus bent down and kissed Harry on the forehead. "Sweet dreams, Harry."

"Sweet dreams, Dad," Harry replied, snuggling into his pillow as sleepiness hit him. The last thing he saw was his Dad placing his glasses on his bedside table and the room turning dark as Severus turned off his bedside light.


	9. Chapter 9

**So as usual, I had about 60% of this chapter written for about two months and then went through a period where I absolutely hated what I'd written but it leads so well into the next chapter I can't really do anything else right now. Then I got typing this afternoon and got some coffee in my system and finally finished it. There will be another Outtake posted soon in the other story (actually, if I have time tomorrow, two) because I started rewriting this chapter with a different concept and decided not to use it here but it'll go there. **

**Now, I don't believe that I updated my warning at the start of the story, so I will now. This story contains child abuse, mentions of neglect, the odd swear word or three, and, starting in the next few chapters, non-graphic sexual abuse. It may be triggering, or you may just hate that angle. Now is the time to turn back.  
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**There is a little bit of heavy fore-shadowing in this chapter, which I put in for a reason. But other than that, I hope you like this chapter.  
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**As always, not mine, just my sandbox.  
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**Harry POV**

Harry entered the Great Hall the next morning feeling hopeful. Severus had been gone when Harry woke up but he'd left a note to wish Harry good luck on his first day. Harry had been packing his bag to take up to the Great Hall when a letter had come through the Floo, from Aunt Narcissa. She wrote that she was going to Floo though at lunchtime and could Severus please tell Draco.

Harry spotted Severus at the Head table, sitting next to Professor McGonagall, so Harry headed up to the dais to give him the letter.

"Good morning, Professor, Dad," Harry said, standing in front of them.

"Good morning, Harry," Professor McGonagall said with a small smile.

"This came for you," Harry said, holding out the letter to his Dad.

"Thank you," Severus said, taking it, and then unfolding it. He read over it quickly and then put it next to his plate. "Can you pass the message onto Draco?" Severus asked Harry.

"Yes, Dad," Harry acquiesced. He turned as he heard his name and saw Rachael, Hermione, and Flint waving at him from the Slytherin table. "Um, I better go say hi, they'll want to know why I wasn't at the feast."

"Go, have fun," Severus said. "And Harry," Severus added as Harry turned away. Harry turned back expectantly and Severus said," Instead of being grounded to our quarters, you're grounded to Slytherin. Teddy saved you a bed last night."

"Harry nodded, surprised but not upset. "Okay, I'll need to move my trunk."

"Trixie just left to do it. You can move any extra unneeded belongings back into our quarters on the weekend," Severus said. He was stopped from saying anything else when Teddy came up and tackle-hugged Harry from behind.

"Harry, oh my gosh, don't scare me like that, I thought Ron Weasley had converted you and you'd abandoned all your Slytherin buddies," Teddy rambled jokingly.

"Good morning, Teddy," Harry laughed. "I missed you too."

"Who said I missed you?" Teddy said, raising his eyebrows at Harry.

Harry shook his head and started walking toward the group of his friends, laughing when Teddy darted after him, apologising. "Are the timetables out yet?" Harry asked when Harry caught up.

"Yep, I've got yours. We have Herbology this morning and Defence this afternoon." Harry groaned in disgust and Teddy looked at him curiously.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Lockhart," Harry said.

"Oh, right, I heard about what happened at Flourish and Blotts," Teddy said. "Heard your Dad almost punched him in the face in front of a Daily Prophet cameraman."

"Almost," Harry started. He stopped to stare across at the Gryffindor table as Mrs Weasley's voice reverberated across the room. "Oh no."

"That's a Howler," Teddy crowed. "Weasley got a Howler!" He looked at Harry. "What did you two do?"

"We flew a flying car from London. And crashed into a moving tree," Harry said flatly, watching Ron shrink down in shame as the envelope stopped talking.

"Wicked," Teddy breathed.

"Don't let Dad hear you say that. He'll make you serve detention with me," Harry said, turning away from Ron's shame and walking the rest of the distance to the spare seat next to Hermione. "I'm so glad that Dad's here. Who knows what he might have done in retribution."

"You would have deserved it," Hermione said haughtily. She softened the comment by hugging Harry around the shoulders.

"True, but still, it's nice to get yelled at in private where Draco can't start with the mocking," Harry said, pointing at Draco, who was gesturing towards Ron and was surrounded by laughing second years.

"What did they do to you for flying a car to Hogwarts?" Rachael asked.

"A month's grounding to Slytherin and a week's worth of detention," Harry answered, grabbing two slices of toast and putting some bacon and scrambled eggs between them. "I have to go grab my books from the dorms," Harry said as he wrapped the serviette around his sandwich and stood.

"I'll come with you," Teddy said, smiling sympathetically. "Bit noisy in there, isn't it?" Teddy asked as they left the Hall.

"Stop reading me," Harry growled.

"Sorry, can't help it," Teddy said. "And it's a whole different type of noisy when you're me,"

Harry looked over in concern. "Sorry, Teddy, I forgot. What do you think Lockhart's going to be like as a teacher?"

"Probably awful. He's very aggravating, even from a distance. Very bright and sparkly," Teddy said, faking a gag.

Harry laughed. "Have you started reading the books? George was making fun of it on our trip to London," Harry said. They'd reached the door to the Slytherin common room and Harry turned to Teddy enquiringly.

"Morgana," Teddy offered. Harry laughed, realising that Severus had taken the password from the book that Harry had been telling him about. Harry followed Teddy through the entrance, pausing for a moment to take in the sight of the green and dark wood common room. He caught up with Teddy at the entrance to the boy's dorms. Harry almost walked into the first year's room out of habit but Teddy pulled on his arm and led him to the second year's room.

"So, your bed is over there, and mine is in it's usual place, and that's Draco's can't think why he'd want to sleep next to you all of a sudden and then Crabbe and Goyle are now flanking Blaise," Teddy said, pointing to the beds in turn. The bed closest to the bathroom was Teddy's, then Harry's, then Draco's, then Crabbe's, Blaise's and Goyle's.

"What does Dad think of that?" Harry asked.

"Well, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that his attention wasn't really on where we were sleeping, last night. Maybe it was more on, oh I don't know, a certain flying car incident?" Teddy finished his question in a yell. He perched on his bed, rifling through the books he'd left strewed across them. "Now, details!" Teddy roared, throwing his pillow at Harry as Harry laughed.

"How much time do you have?" Harry asked, walking to his trunk and kneeling down to open it.

"Well, everyone knows that the first day of class doesn't have anything good in it. So, start now, and by dinner you'll be finished," Teddy said, holding up the thickest of Gilderoy Lockhart's books. "How are we meant to carry these all to class?"

"I have no idea," Harry muttered, staring at the pile of books.

"Okay, well let's just not take any, and then ask him which one we'll need for our next class?" Teddy suggested, dumping the books back on the bed with a flourish.

Harry looked at his bag with a dubious glance. "As long as he doesn't say all of them." Harry shrugged and grabbed his Herbology textbook, then slammed his trunk shut. "I suppose I should start with Dobby, since, now that I've had time to think about, he's probably the reason we couldn't get through the barrier."

Teddy gave him a confused look and Harry laughed. "Dobby is a house-elf. He came to the Weasley's, apparently to give me some warning about not coming back to Hogwarts," Harry said. He was prevented from saying more by the castle bell ringing. "Oh crap, we're going to be late!"

Harry and Teddy scrambled for their bags and then set off for Greenhouse Three. They ran through the corridor past the Potions classroom, just missing knocking over a couple of Hufflepuff first year's. Harry spared a thought for how Severus was going to treat them but forgot it as he tripped going up the stairs. He fell to one knee, hissing it collided with the edge of a step. Teddy turned and helped him up but Harry shook him off and they kept going. They made it to the path down to the greenhouses just as a dirty and mud-covered Professor Sprout did. With her was Professor Lockhart, locking spotless.

"Mr Potter, Mr Nott, please slow down. You could hurt somebody," Professor Sprout scolded as they slowed to a walk next to the Professors.

"I think we already did, Professor," Teddy admitted. He looked pointedly at Harry, who was limping on his sore knee.

"Uh oh, Harry, that looks serious. You know, I'm rather good at healing, if you'd like me to take a look at it," Professor Lockhart offered. Harry looked at him, bit his lip and tried to come up with a reason to say no.

"Um, that's okay, Professor. Harry's Dad's a Potion Master, and he's rather good at healing too. Harry'll be right until then," Teddy said quickly, pulling Harry toward the greenhouse. "Plus, Professor Snape gets rather twitchy if anyone else heals his son," Teddy added when Professor Lockhart didn't look convinced. At the mention of Professor Snape's name, Lockhart's expression closed over.

"Yes, well, perhaps we'd better leave it for your Dad, then," Lockhart said with a nervous laugh. He looked at his watch then, and made a face. "I'm running a bit late, it seems. Well, Professor Sprout, if you need any more advice on how to care for the Whomping Willow, feel free to seek my expertise." Harry would have grinned at how quickly Lockhart changed his tune, but instead he just exchanged thankful looks with Teddy. Lockhart himself had turned and started walking back up to the castle, obviously running late for a class.

"And anyways, it's time for class. I'll get you a stool to sit on if your leg's hurting too much, Harry, but you don't want to miss this," Professor Sprout said with a wink.

"Cheers, Professor," Harry said. "I should be alright though. I just knocked it on a step."

"Well, all the same, let me know if you're having trouble," Professor Sprout replied as she held the door to the greenhouse open for them to walk through. "Alright everybody," She started, addressing the assembled students. "Welcome to Greenhouse Three."

Harry waved to Padma Patil and Lisa Turpin, both Ravenclaws that he had been friendly with the year before. They giggled and waved back shyly, making Harry turn to Teddy, confused. "They saw the photo of you with Lockhart in the paper. Make's you almost as cute as he is, in their eyes," Teddy explained.

Harry looked at him with a horrified expression. "They published that?"

"Yep, and Narcissa Malfoy apparently got the reporter fired the very next day. Wonder who asked her to do that?" Teddy said, not even pretending to guess.

"Dad wouldn't do that."

"Yes he would."

"Okay class, today we're going to be working with Mandrakes. Can anyone tell me about them?" Professor Sprout said, walking around and handing out earmuffs.

"They're the main ingredient in the Mandrake Restorative Drought," Draco drawled lazily, looking dubiously at his fluorescent green ear muffs. Harry pulled Teddy over to stand near him, ignoring the scornful looks the Ravenclaws gave him.

"Correct, Mr Malfoy, very good. 5 points to Slytherin," Professor Sprout said. Draco smiled proudly and Harry patted him on the back. "Does anyone know anything else about Mandrakes?"

"Don't they scream?" Terry Boot asked, looking confused.

"Yes, that's correct, Mr Boot. 5 points to Ravenclaw," Professor Sprout agreed. "Mandrakes, or Mandragora, are a type of plant that mature over time. Now, they're easy enough to take care of, but their cries are fatal when they're full grown." When the class recoiled, she smiled and said, "These ones are only babies, so they'll only knock you out for a few hours. But that's why we have the earmuffs. So if everyone will put on their earmuffs, I'll show you how we're going to replant them."

Harry snapped the ear muffs over his ears, shaking his head when the unusual sensation of not being able to hear anything hit him. He placed a hand on each temple and curled in on himself, breathing rapidly. There was a empty feeling in the pit of his stomach and he scrabbled at the earmuffs, dislodging them slightly. He felt Teddy grab his arm to keep him upright and felt someone drag the earmuffs off his head.

"Shh, it's okay, you can hear now," Teddy reassured him. "It's okay, buddy."

Harry couldn't slow his breathing so he just shook his head and tried to lower himself to the dirty greenhouse floor. Teddy realised what he was doing and let him sit, crouching next to him.

"Mr Potter, I want you to concentrate on breathing for me now. Just sit up, with straight spine, and tilt your chin up. I'm going to put a mask over your face and I just want you to breathe normally into it," Professor Sprout said, placing something over Harry's face. The air he breathed in tasted weird but concentrating on his breathing helped him, so he didn't pull back. As his breathing started to slow, he leant into the support Teddy was offering, beginning to feel embarrassed.

"I feel better now," Harry said, pushing the mask away from his face. He noticed that it was attached to a tube and that Madame Pomfrey was detaching something from the other end of it.

"I think I'm going to send you to Madame Pomfrey anyway, dear, since you won't be able to do this class if you can't wear the earmuffs. Get her to see to your knee while you're there as well," Professor Sprout said.

"Okay," Harry said, kicking himself internally. How had he managed to mess things up already? He stood up, limping out of the greenhouse and trying to ignore the stares that were burning his way. Once he was out of the greenhouse, he slowed slightly, trying to remember the way that Severus had taken them back into the castle. He stopped walking for a second and then shook his head, dismissing the idea; knowing the castle, he'd probably just end up lost.

He made his way up the stairs into the Entrance Hall, looking back with longing at the dungeons, which were only one flight of stairs, instead of the two he'd have to cover to get to the Infirmary. He hobbled up the stairs to the next floor, leaning heavily on the stone wall. He was so focused on his knee, which had obviously stiffened during his short time in the greenhouses, that he missed hearing someone walk up behind him. He started, jumping sideways, as Professor Lockhart put his arm around Harry from behind.

"Harry, my boy, shouldn't you be in class?" Harry squirmed as Lockhart asked his question, distinctly uncomfortable with the physical contact.

"My knee got worse, so Professor Sprout sent me to Madame Pomfrey," Harry explained, holding up the note. He gritted his teeth and tried to subtly pull away as Lockhart made a sound of sympathy.

"That doesn't sound good, Harry. You know, I'm quite the good healer myself actually," Lockhart started. "Why don't you come with me and I'll take a look at it to save Madame Pomfrey some time?" Harry felt the pressure on his shoulders as Lockhart tried to lead him away and he pulled away desperately. Lockhart held on to him a moment longer and then let him pull away.

"No, thank you, Professor. My Dad will check, when he finds out Professor Sprout sent me. And he doesn't like me avoiding Madame Pomfrey," Harry explained, putting his hands up defensively and backing away. "In fact, I'd better go now, otherwise, I'll be late for lunch my next class," Harry lied.

"Of course, of course, Harry, wouldn't want you to be late," Lockhart said, beaming at Harry. Harry tried not to let his eye twitch when he realised that the smile didn't exactly reach Lockhart's eyes. "Well, run along then, my boy."

Harry nodded and kept walking, ignoring the pain in his knee in order to walk faster. Once he reached the stairs and heard that Lockhart had gone the other way, he slowed, looking back in confusion. He didn't have to be Teddy to know that Lockhart had been acting weirdly. He was glad to make it to the Infirmary, though Madame Pomfrey's look of amusement when he walked through the door almost made him reconsider.

"Already, Harry?" She said, walking over from the supply closet. Her look changed to one of professional concern when Harry nodded and held out the note without stepping forward.

"I fell. On the stairs. And now my leg really hurts," Harry explained. Madame Pomfrey took the note, reading it quickly while holding out her arm for Harry to lean on.

"Let's get you on a bed, easy now," she said, stepping forward slowly so that Harry could hop on his good leg. While Harry sat down, her eyes flicked over the lines on the note. Harry looked up from pulling up his pants leg to see her raised eyebrows. "And what about the panic attack, hmm? Were you planning on telling me about that or going to make me guess?"

"It was just a stupid panic attack. I don't even know why I had it," Harry protested. Madame Pomfrey didn't change her look, though she did look a little surprised when she looked down and saw his knee. "That looks like it hurts, Harry."

"I'm kind of okay on the flat stuff but it really hurts when I have to bend it," Harry explained with a wince.

"I'm not surprised," Madame Pomfrey muttered. She summoned over a stool and sat in front of Harry, moving his leg so that she could examine it. Harry yelped when she put pressure on the side of his kneecap, wriggling backward on the bed away from her.

"Ow!" He complained loudly, ignoring the amused look on her face. Harry kept his other leg curled up to his chest, making a face at her. "Why did that hurt so badly?"

"I believe, Harry, that you have at least partially dislocated your kneecap," Harry winced at the word dislocated.

"Bad?"

"Can be. Depends on how bad the dislocation is. You'll need a brace, crutches and I'll have to get a physiotherapist in from St Mungo's to help you rebuild the muscles. Right now, in fact, since I'm loathe to treat this without confirmation of my diagnosis," Madame Pomfrey explained, flicking her wand and Summoning an ice pack over. She handed it to Harry, gesturing for him to put it on his knee.

"I'm not making it to recess, am I?" Harry groaned, shuffling forward on the bed and then falling back.

"I'll tell Severus that you have a good reason not to be eating, don't worry about that," Madame Pomfrey said, walking over to the Floo. Harry waited while she made the call, counting out the stones in the wall opposite. When Madame Pomfrey was done with the call, she told him that the Healer would be over in half an hour, and to hold the ice pack on his knee. Harry nodded at her as she went into her office, presumably to do paperwork.

Harry was just about to call out to Madame Pomfrey and ask how much longer it was going to be when a woman he didn't know stepped through the Floo, calling out for Madame Pomfrey. Harry didn't get the chance to introduce himself before Severus entered the hospital wing with Aunt Cissy, stopping in the doorway as he noticed the people within. "Harry?" Severus asked, seemingly deciding to focus on Harry's knee. "What happened?" He said as he walked over. Aunt Cissy walked behind him, smiling at Harry from behind Severus.

"It's probably best you tell me that as well, Harry, isn't it?" The woman said as she walked toward them as well. "Call me Yvette," She introduced herself, shaking hands with Severus.

"I tripped on the stairs and hit my knee right on the edge of one. It really hurt but I thought it'd be okay. That wasn't actually why I got sent to Madame Pomfrey, but I couldn't stop limping," Harry explained.

"What did Professor Sprout send you to Madame Pomfrey for?" Severus asked, looking over him again.

"I had a panic attack. Don't know why," Harry said, glancing at Yvette.

"Probably a combination of pain, stress and an uncomfortable situation," Madame Pomfrey volunteered when Severus looked at her for information. "Pomona told me that Harry started panicking after they put their earmuffs on while working with Mandrakes."

"My sister has anxiety attacks," Yvette told Harry quietly, taking Harry's ankle in her hands. "Have you ever had problems with your knees before? Soreness or dislocation?"

"Nope," Harry answered, glad for the distraction from Severus' searching gaze.

"Play any sports? Quidditch, football, basketball or any sport where you have to turn suddenly?" Yvette asked, pressing gently at the side of Harry's shin.

"No, ma'am. I play pick-up Quidditch games but I'm not on a team," Harry explained.

"Want to be?" She asked, pressing on another spot.

"I was going to try out," Harry said, hissing as she put pressure on the side of his knee.

"When's try outs?" She said, sitting back.

"In two weeks," Severus answered for Harry.

"Well, I don't think that this is a dislocation, which is good news, but it's still a bad sprain at least. Which means about a week to two weeks before you feel better. I'm going to do a diagnostic spell first and then I might have to move your leg around a bit to check the ligament," Yvette explained, pulling out her wand and tapping it on Harry's knee. Harry took the chance to study the bruising on his knee, realising that his knee was quite swollen.

"What kind of treatment will that require?" Severus asked.

Yvette looked at the pattern that was appearing on Harry's knee and then looked up. "This is what we'd call a Grade Two sprain, which is a partial tear, this time of the ACL. So basically, Harry's going to have to rest, ice, compress and elevate his knee for about two days or until it starts feeling better and then I'll be back to give him some physiotherapy exercises for you to do. I'll check back around two weeks after that appointment, or maybe the day before Harry's Quidditch try outs, and we'll go from there. I'm not noticing any unusual laxity of the joint, so I'll give you a brace but Harry can decide whether it makes him feel better," She explained. Severus nodded his understanding and Madame Pomfrey handed over the ice pack that she had been holding.

"Thanks, Madame Pomfrey," Harry said as Yvette placed it on his knee. "Oh, that feels better," Harry breathed.

"Hold it there while we adults discuss how hard it's going to be for you to rest that leg for the next two weeks," Yvette said. She walked over to the supply closet and Severus and Madame Pomfrey followed.

"That's not fair," Harry muttered, watching them walk away.

"They need to talk about your classes," Aunt Cissy said. "There's too many stairs in Hogwarts. It'll hurt your knee if you keep going up and down stairs."

"How do you know that?" Harry asked curiously.

"I used to have problems with my knees," Aunt Cissy said. "A lot of girls do."

"Huh," Harry said. The ice was helping his knee but he couldn't keep his mind off of the pain in his knee. "Aunt Cissy, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Harry," Aunt Cissy said while sitting down on the nurse's stool.

"Is it okay for a teacher to hug me, if I don't know him?" Harry asked, thinking back to his interaction with Lockhart.

"Can I ask you a question?" Aunt Cissy asked, and Harry could see that she was thinking hard.

"Yeah," Harry said hesitantly.

"Is this about Lockhart?" She asked. Harry jumped and stared at her. "Remus told me that you wrote him about the Diagon Alley incident. He said that you seemed more upset than you'd told Severus. Did Professor Lockhart hug you?" Aunt Cissy frowned, showing her concern.

"Kind of. He put his arm around me while I was walking and when I tried to get him to let go, he kind of wouldn't let go," Harry said, rubbing at the wrist of the hand that was holding the icepack to his knee. "And he looks at me weirdly," Harry added.

Aunt Cissy didn't have the chance to reply as Severus and Madame Pomfrey came back. Madame Pomfrey was holding what Harry realised was a brace. "Yvette had to go, there was an emergency at St Mungo's," Severus said. "She left the brace for you, and told me that once your knee feels a bit better, massage might help. I'll teach you the techniques over the next few days. For today and tomorrow, we've decided that it's best that you wear the brace and avoid any class that requires you to go more than two flights of stairs away from the Slytherin Common room. I will make your excuses to Madame Hooch. I will also inform Professors McGonagall and Lockhart that you may be late to your classes."

"Okay, thank you," Harry said. Madame Pomfrey gestured for him to remove the icepack from his knee, so that he could hold it while she pulled his pants leg down and then slid the brace up over his leg. Harry had to lift his hip so that she could slid the bulky brace up high enough and then watched curiously as she did it up.

"You can take this off in Slytherin or when you're in Severus' quarters but make sure that you put it on before you take any stairs. And you'll have to keep wearing it for the whole two weeks," Madame Pomfrey said. "And no strenuous activity for two weeks at least. You hear me, Harry? No running, no jumping, absolutely no Quidditch, and you are definitely not allowed to scrub the Potions classroom with a toothbrush," She finished. Harry gave her confused look and then realised that she was talking to Severus. He smirked, almost glad that he wouldn't be able to do what Severus had obviously planned for his detention.

"No doing anything fun, I got it," Harry said, nodding happily.

"You find scrubbing the Potions classroom floor with a toothbrush fun, Harry? I may have to get more creative then," Severus said, holding out his arm so that Harry could lean on it as he rose. The smirk that Severus was wearing made Harry shiver.

"I mean, that would be horrible. Why would anyone make another human being do such a thing?" Harry asked, smiling cheekily. Severus snorted and took more of Harry's weight as Harry adjusted so that he could at least stand comfortably.

Harry looked up from Severus' support as the Hospital Wing doors opened. He grinned at Teddy, gesturing towards his knee and the brace. "This is what I get for running on the stairs," Harry said, faking a frown.

"Harry, you said it wasn't that bad!" Teddy said, walking quickly over to them. He shook his finger in Harry's face, making Harry giggle. "And here I thought you passing out was the worst thing to happen today." Teddy paused and then continued before Harry could answer. "But we haven't had Lockhart's class yet, so we're with-holding judgement for now." Harry snorted and ignored the raised eyebrows from Severus.

"Can I go to class now?" Harry asked, hearing the bell ring. He looked hopefully between Madame Pomfrey and Severus, hoping that he would be able to get back to his normal first day. Madame Pomfrey looked at Severus, obviously leaving it up to him.

"You may, but you are taking a note from me with you to class so that if your leg hurts too much you can leave class," Severus said. He made a movement with his wand and a slip of paper with writing on it appeared in the air. "Now, since you are both going to be late, go," Severus said, pointing to the door. Harry and Teddy nodded in agreement and Teddy bent down and grabbed Harry's bag. "Where is your bag, Theodore?' Severus asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Hermione's taking it to class for me because I said I was going to come get Harry," Teddy replied, offering his arm to Harry. Harry limped over to him and smiled as his friend took part of his weight. When Teddy started leading the way out of the hospital wing, Harry made him pause so he could turn around and wave to Aunt Cissy.

"See you at lunch, Aunt Cissy," Harry said. "Oh, and thanks for the broom!" Harry added with a grin.

"Broom?" Teddy asked curiously, tugging Harry away.

"Tell you in class," Harry muttered as the pain of moving hit him. He noticed that Teddy was slowing his pace as they made their way through the hallway but they still made it to the Defense classroom in time to claim their seats with Neville, Hermione, Draco and Blaise.

"Good to see you not panicking, Harry," Draco said nastily.

"Shut up, Draco," Harry said tiredly. "Oh and your Mum's come over for lunch. We have to go to Severus' quarters at lunch to meet her."

"Does Severus know about your leg?" Hermione asked, looking in concern at Harry's brace.

"Yep, he saw me while I was in the hospital wing," Harry answered her. He looked in shock at the pile of books on her desk. "How did you carry all of those and Teddy's bag?"

"Neville helped me," Hermione explained. She was about to continue, possibly to ask where Harry's books where, when the door to the classroom opened and Professor Lockhart strode through. The man's robes had changed since this morning, from the normal black teaching robes to blue robes with silver lining and embroidery. The silver sparkled off of Lockhart's blonde hair, making Harry and Teddy share an expression of disgust. Harry was about to share a similar glance with Hermione but realised that she was busy watching Lockhart with a captivated expression. Harry looked around the classroom in disbelief and realised that all the girls were watching Lockhart the same way. He swallowed a groan and turned back to Lockhart as the man began to speak.

"Welcome, welcome, boys and girls. *Allow me to introduce you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher; me. Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award. But I don't talk about that; I didn't get rid of the Banden Banshee by smiling at him." * Lockhart finished his speech with a beaming smile and Harry just looked at him in confusion. Teddy and Draco were sharing the same look and Blaise, sitting in front of them with Draco, let his head fall heavily to the desk.

"You have got to be kidding me," Teddy muttered to Harry, staring at Lockhart with a mix of revulsion and disbelief.

"Now, I see that some of you haven't brought your books to class," Lockhart said, looking around. "Can anyone tell me why not?"

"Because there were eight of them?" Teddy said, loudly. "And I'd like to still be able to stand up straight by the end of the term," He added more quietly, though not so quietly that Lockhart didn't hear.

"Oh, of course, of course. Well, I hope you had the chance to read them, because the first thing we're doing today is a quiz, on all the books on your reading list," Lockhart's smile was slightly less empty-headed as he turned to Teddy. "Perhaps you'd like to hand them out," Lockhart trailed off, obviously fishing for Teddy's name.

"Theodore Nott," Teddy said with a sarcastic smile. He stood reluctantly and took the papers, making a face at Harry when Lockhart turned away. Harry giggled until he looked down at his test and realised that the first few questions were all about Lockhart, personally. Looking in front of him where Teddy had just passed Blaise his test, he noticed that the other boy was now rhythmically banging his head against the desk in frustration.

"You have thirty minutes to complete it and I will be grading you on it," Lockhart said, sweeping dramatically back to the front of the room. Harry took one look around and saw that every guy in the class had the same 'can't believe it' look on their face.

Just over half an hour later, Lockhart was standing at the front of the room, telling them the correct answers to the quiz. Teddy was beginning to look more and more frustrated and Harry was sure that his face was reflecting his pain as well. Draco and Blaise had given up on listening and were instead playing noughts and crosses on a bit of parchment on their desk.

"This isn't right, Severus won't stand for this, even McGonagall won't stand for this, he's not going to teach us anything," Teddy ranted under his breath. "At least not anything I might actually want or need to know, " He added as Lockhart moved onto his favourite brand of shampoo.

"Have you noticed Hermione?" Harry asked, as quietly as he could. Teddy glanced back over his shoulder at the girl in question, who Harry could tell was watching Lockhart avidly and blushing as he praised her high score on the quiz.

"Oh, I've noticed, alright. She needs to snap out of that, quick smart. Bad enough that he's a crappy teacher, I'm not letting him trick her into thinking he's some kind of hero, too," Teddy said, glaring at the teacher in question.

Harry jumped slightly as Draco dropped a crumbled up on note onto their desk. The Hufflepuffs all think he's amazing too. I'm taking bets how long it'll be before Severus throws him through a wall.

"Two weeks. Less if he doesn't leave Harry alone," Teddy stage-whispered, bringing Lockhart's eyes onto them. Harry and Teddy ducked their heads, trying to look contrite as the male wizard kept his eyes on them. "Hate him already."

"He's creepy," Harry whispered back, remembering the encounter in the hallway. Teddy looked at him in concern, picking up on his emotions but he brushed him off. "Tell you later."

"Better be telling Severus too," Teddy sing-songed, implying that he knew how concerned Harry was. Harry just glared at him, wondering if he could possibly sit through another fifteen minutes of Lockhart's class.

"Now, I think it'd be best if I start with a demonstration of a technique from my book, Break with a Banshee. Who brought their copy today?" Lockhart asked. Harry snorted as every girl's hand went up, remembering some of the scenes from Lockhart's first book. "Excellent. Those who didn't, don't forget your book next class, because you won't be able to help me demonstrate without it," Lockhart's eyes rested briefly on Harry before moving on and Harry quickly resolved to always bring the wrong book, so that he couldn't be chosen as a "volunteer".

Luckily, the bell rang before Lockhart could get too far into his demonstration, leaving the girls to sigh in disappointment while every male packed up as quickly as possible. "Wasn't that class good?" Hermione asked as they gathered their things. Harry looked at her in shock and then frowned.

"No, Hermione, it wasn't. And if you think differently, why don't you run Lockhart's lesson plan past Professor McGonagall. I bet she agrees with us," Harry said, trying to be as gentle as possible.

Hermione looked at him with a betrayed look. "Harry, there was nothing wrong with the way Professor Lockhart chose to teach us. I'm sure that he was just nervous and once we've had a couple of classes, he'll be even better than some of the teachers we have at the moment."

"Hermione," Harry started but the girl had already began to walk away from him. He kicked himself for phrasing it that way but he was worried about her. There was something off about Lockhart, Harry just knew it, and he really didn't want Hermione to be the one to find out what.

"Come on, Harry, let's go see if my mum's already in Severus' quarters," Draco told him, watching the brunette go. Harry looked at Draco and Teddy helplessly, wanting to go after Hermione but knowing that his leg wouldn't let him.

"I'll tell her you didn't mean, if you like, Harry," Neville offered, packing up his bag more slowly than the others.

Harry smiled at the boy, thankful for his Gryffindor nature. "Thanks, Neville, that'd be great. Just, tell her I'm in pain because of my knee and that I'm still upset about the Diagon Alley incident. She'll understand, I hope," Harry said.

"Can't say that for sure but I'll definitely pass the message on. Hermione's probably gone to find Ginny anyway," Neville explained. "They're in the same dorm and Ginny's a bit homesick. And embarrassed because of that Howler this morning. So Hermione's looking after her, making sure nobody picks on her for it."

"Speaking of Howlers, did you notice Weasley's wand?" Draco crowed gleefully. "How does he think he's going to be learning magic with it like that?"

"Don't, Draco," Harry said, putting enough warning in his tone to make the older boy listen. "Ron's really upset about his wand."

"And so he should be," Draco answered, pulling Harry lightly so that he had to start walking with him. Teddy quickly picked up his school bag, swinging it easily onto his shoulder with his own.

"Bye Neville, see you at dinner, maybe," Harry said to him, as he walked in the opposite direction to the Slytherins.

"So, Lockhart," Blaise started.

"I've changed my bets. If Severus finds out how Lockhart is teaching us, he's going to kill him. Soon. Like three days from now," Teddy said, talking quickly in anger.

"Did you see how close he got to Jody?" Blaise pointed out. "I'm not entirely sure that was appropriate."

"You know what, tell Professor Snape that in your next meeting," Teddy said with an evil grin. "I'd put ten Galleons on Snape dragging him by the hair to the nearest Auror and accusing him of touching her inappropriately."

The other boys laughed at Teddy's obvious pleasure in the mental image but Harry's laugh felt empty, even to himself. Would that be Severus' reaction if one of the students accused Lockhart of being too cosy with his students? Or would he blow them off as being oversensitive? Harry scrubbed at his forehead, ignoring the ache that was forming behind his eyes in favour of focusing on the steps of the shortcut that lead from the second floor to the dungeons. Blaise hooked Harry's free arm over his shoulder so that Harry was supported on both sides as they slowly went down the steps.

"Glad we have a free period now, otherwise we'd be screwed," Blaise joked when Harry asked them to stop for a moment.

"I forgot to take the pain killer Madame Pomfrey offered me," Harry explained. "And it's stiff from sitting in Lockhart's class for an hour. I probably should have had my leg elevated, but I forgot."

"It sounds as though you've forgotten a few things today, Harry," Severus' voice sounded from above them on the steps. Harry snorted as the other boys jumped, too used to Severus appearing out of nowhere to be truly surprised.

"Kind of didn't plan on killing my knee today, Dad," Harry said, leaning his head back against the wall.

"Indeed," Severus drawled, making Harry giggle. Severus eyebrow rose at the unusual sound and he gave Harry a searching look. "Tired?"

"A little," Harry admitted, trying not to look away from Severus' eye contact.

Severus sighed and nodded. "Very well. Where were you going?"

"To your quarters, Uncle Severus, to see my mum," Draco answered.

"She isn't there. Narcissa was called away for a while but she promised to be back for lunch," Severus said. He looked at Teddy and seemed to realise that he was carrying both school bags. "Pass me Harry's school bag, Theodore."

Harry looked on curiously as Severus took Harry's bag and cast a charm on it to make it float along beside himself. "You need to teach me that," Harry breathed, realising how useful it would be while he was still resting his knee.

"I intend to. Now, since you seem to have reached your limit on stairs for today, perhaps I can offer a better solution?" Severus asked with his eyebrows raised. Harry wondered what he meant for a moment and then realised that Severus was offering to carry him.

"Um, okay," Harry agreed. Severus gave him a soft smile and stepped closer, pulling his body towards Severus' side. Before Harry had really had time to wonder how Severus was going to lift him, Severus had put his left arm under Harry's legs and lifted him, reminiscent of the times during the last school year when Severus had done the same.

"You are still much too light," Severus breathed, close to Harry's ear so he was the only one who could hear it.

"I eat," Harry protested.

"Obviously not enough," Severus answered, leading the way down the dim staircase. When they reached the bottom, he put Harry back on his feet, staying by his side so that Harry could lean on him as they walked to the door to their quarters. Severus walked Harry through to the sitting room and helped him sit on the couch. Draco and Teddy came in behind Severus, dropping down to sit on the rug. Harry looked up to see if Blaise had followed and frowned when he didn't.

"I didn't say goodbye to Blaise," Harry said sadly.

"You live with him, Harry," Draco said incredulously. "I think he'll forgive you."

"Yeah but, it's rude," Harry protested, leaning back against the couch tiredly. Severus stood, looking at him, for a moment, before sweeping from the room. Draco watched him go and then turned to Harry.

"Blaise won't care," Draco said matter-of-factly. Harry smiled at him softly but didn't get the chance to answer as Severus came back into the room.

"Drink this, Harry," Severus said, handing him a potion vial that Harry recognised.

"Pain reliever?"

"You forgot to take it in the infirmary," Severus explained. "And I asked Yvette if you can use Bruise Balm on your knee and she said that you can. Take your brace off now that you're staying here for the afternoon and put the balm on your knee."

Harry took the offered jar of Balm from Severus, still wondering why Severus was being so formal. He gave Severus a searching look and was surprised when Severus sat down next to him. Severus gestured for him to move, so he set to work on the velcro taping his brace on. Once he'd slid it off his leg, he eased his school pants leg up over his injured knee. The bruising from earlier was still there, and the swelling hadn't reduced any.

"Ouch, that looks really bad," Teddy said sympathetically.

"I think it is," Harry agreed. "Madame Pomfrey had to call in a physiotherapist from St Mungo's," He explained when Draco looked at him curiously.

"Harry tore one of the structures in his knee which helps him keep his balance and move his knee," Severus said, putting it in easier words than Harry thought he would have. Severus reached down and tugged on Harry's injured leg, just below the bruising, making Harry lift it up so that it rested across Severus' lap. "He will be expected to rest quietly for at least the next two weeks as much as he can, and I will thank you both not to encourage him into things he shouldn't be doing."

"Sitting right here," Harry muttered, glaring slightly. Severus looked over with a raised eyebrow and Harry gave up and lay back along the couch with a huff.

"I am telling them as well as you because half of the trouble you seem to get involved in is connected to these two," Severus said, sounding slightly irritated. Harry noticed Teddy's creased brow out of the corner of his eye and took it as confirmation of his suspicion.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, sitting up and putting his weight on his elbows. "I thought you weren't still mad about the car?"

Severus eyebrow rose and Harry saw a flash of anger in his eyes. Before Harry could take back the slightly rude questions, Severus answered silkily, "And what gave you that impression?"

Harry gulped and he saw Draco and Teddy shrink backwards slightly. "You weren't still mad last night," Harry protested, strongly resisting the urge to put some physical distance between Severus and himself. Severus' eye's narrowing gave Harry the final nudge, so Harry slid backwards, dragging his leg with him. Severus let him go, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

"Am I still inordinately concerned that my son decided to fly a car to Hogwarts in lieu of owling me or asking for help? Yes. Am I still distinctly upset that I spent five hours yesterday worried that someone had kidnapped my son, whose high profile leaves him at very high risk for this? Of course." Severus looked at Harry sternly and Harry made his expression as contrite as possible. "I am not still mad at you. I am still mad. There is a difference." Harry didn't believe that. Not at all. He frowned at Severus, setting his jaw stubbornly.

"No, there's not," he replied, making Teddy flinch and Draco stare in horror. "There's not, because you're not treating Teddy or Draco any differently and I saw you with Madame Pomfrey and I've seen you with her when you're mad. You're not mad, you're mad at me. Because I was stupid. But I can't exactly say sorry any differently and I meant it when I said it, so being angry at me for something that I can't make any different isn't fair," Harry protested. He saw Severus' expression darken dangerously but kept his stubborn look.

"Mr Nott, Mr Malfoy, perhaps now would be a good time to go," Severus said silkily, not looking away from Harry.

"Right, of course, see ya Harry," Teddy said as they both scrambled for their things.

"I'll see you at lunch, Uncle Sev, Harry," Draco said, locking eyes with Harry and making a 'don't do this' expression.

Once they'd left, Severus stood up, beckoning with narrowed eyes for Harry to follow, and walked over to the door that led to his office. He knew that Severus was planning on making him use the mouthwash or stand in a corner, so he crossed his arms and stayed put. "Harry, my patience is already very thin. Come with me, please." The 'please' was strained, as though Severus was trying to stay civil but it was a great effort.

"No." The way Severus' eyes flashed angrily almost made Harry reconsider but he lifted his chin and fixed his eyes on a point on the wall behind Severus' shoulder.

"Indeed," Severus sneered, anger clear in every line. "And how exactly, Harry, do you imagine this conversation going? Because, I must admit, I'm at a loss as to how making this an angry conversation is going to stop me from being angry at you."

"Stop it! Because you're not just angry about the car," Harry almost yelled. "You're angry about something else, something underneath all that, something that made you angry about Knockturn Alley as well. Because you weren't this mad last year. You were frustrated and you were strict but you never had anger underneath. And you never let something keep going, after you'd yelled." Harry stood up, wincing as he put weight on his sore leg but ignoring it for the moment. "You always said that it was done and then it was. So why're you so mad now?"

"Because your continued attempts to risk your life are leaving me at my wit's end, damn it," Severus snapped loudly. "Because I'm sick of wondering whether today's the day I wake up and find out that you actually managed to get yourself killed." Harry felt his eyes start stinging and his breath quicken. He took a step backwards away from Severus, towards his room.

"You mean you're sick of me," Harry said, his tone hurt. Severus looked him in the eye, shock in his gaze but Harry didn't care. "You mean that I'm a bother. If you're going to say it, at least say it properly, Dad," Harry said bit out the last word.

"That's not what I said, Harry," Severus said, and the hint of frustration in his voice was enough to make Harry's eyes narrow angrily. "What I said is that I'm sick of you breaking the rules that are put there for your protection like they don't mean anything. Like me begging you on multiple occasions doesn't mean anything!"

"Oh yeah, and what about the times I'm not breaking the rules? Because that's not my fault!" Harry protested, loudly.

"We are not talking about those times," Severus said, almost growling.

"You told me that we were okay, the other times I broke the rules. You said they didn't matter anymore! Why tell me that if you were just going to lie?" Harry yelled, gesturing angrily.

Severus strode forward, grabbing Harry's shoulders and bending to his height. "I did not lie to you. I am mad about your continued rule breaking, not any one singular incident. And for God's sake, Harry, I have every right to be."

"Why? Because you're my adopted Dad?" Harry threw out, ignoring the voice inside his head that told him it was wrong to use that in a fight. Severus' eyes widened and then narrowed in quick succession.

"Go to your room, now," Severus snarled, straightening and moving away from Harry in an angry, sharp, movement.

"No." Harry answered defiantly.

"Go to your room!" Severus shouted, turning and pointing towards the hallway. Harry backed off, snapped out of his anger by the so very un-Severus action. "Before I do something I regret," Harry heard him add quietly. That decided it for Harry, who backed out of the room and then turned and limped quickly to his room, unable to resist slamming the door after he was through it. Leaning against it tiredly, Harry realised he was shaking, and that his eyes were burning with tears. He threw himself on his bed, burying his head in his pillow, and screamed into it, not willing to think about why he had picked the fight in the first place. Burying his head in his pillow didn't stop the tears from falling though, and he let himself sob, telling himself it wasn't just about the fight but the rest of this horrible first day.

**Severus POV**

Severus twitched as Harry slammed his bedroom door, barely resisting the urge to yell about it. Instead he stalked towards the bookcases and back to the mantle, dispelling the adrenaline fuelled energy. He couldn't believe that Harry had started a fight. Nor could he believe what Harry had said during that fight. Severus wasn't quite willing to admit it, but having Harry use the adoption as a weapon had stung. Snarling angrily, Severus turned to the Floo and got down on his knees. He threw the powder in, then stuck his head in and said, "Dumbledore's office."

His eyes had barely adjusted to the view of the room when the Headmaster said, "Ah, Severus, my boy, come through." He withdrew his head from the Floo and stepped into the fire this time, stepping out into Dumbledore's office.

"Headmaster," he said, in way of greeting.

"Good afternoon, Severus. How has your first day gone?" Dumbledore asked, offering a tin of lemon drops.

"No, thank you," Severus said, making Dumbledore withdraw the tin with a small smile. "Not well, to be honest."

"Oh? What's happened?" Dumbledore asked, tilting his head curiously.

"Harry," Severus replied, frustrated. "When is it not Harry?"

"Well, sometimes it is young Draco Malfoy, or poor Remus," Dumbledore answered with a smile, looking sympathetic. When Severus snorted in reply, Dumbledore asked gently, "What has happened now?"

"He tore his ACL ligament. And then decided to pick a fight," Severus said. "Not to mention, Pomona had to send him from class because he had a panic attack, not because his knee hurts so bad he can barely straighten his leg."

"Who did he pick the fight with?" Dumbledore asked knowingly.

"Me. Over my current disapproval of his method of getting to school this year."

"He's angry that you are angry about the flying car?"

"Not completely. He may have pointed out that my temper has not been the best for a while," Severus admitted.

"Hmm," Dumbledore started. "And is he correct?"

Severus looked away, trying to seem interested in the small gadgets that littered Dumbledore's office. When he glanced back, Dumbledore had steepled his hands and was smiling lightly. "He might be," Severus admitted, grudgingly.

"Then it appears, my boy, that your problem lies solely with you. If there is something making you quicker to anger than usual, perhaps it is time to rectify it?" Dumbledore replied and Severus resisted the urge to give him a sarcastic look. When Dumbledore laughed softly and shook his head, he realised that it didn't matter; Dumbledore knew him too well. Dumbledore opened his mouth but didn't get the chance to continue as there was a knock on his office door. He looked inquiringly at Severus and Severus nodded, sitting back in his chair. "Come in."

The door opened to admit Minerva, looking distinctly upset. "Do you realise, Albus, how hard it is to organise almost 500 students into separate appointments with Healers? Slytherin house is manageable, as they've all had first year checks, not to mention the fact that Severus uniquely keeps on top of it, but Gryffindors are renowned for not going to Madame Pomfrey until they absolutely have to. This is going to be nigh impossible," Minerva complained. She glanced at Severus and frowned. "Whatever you're here to talk to Albus about had better not be that boy, Severus Snape."

"And why is that, Minerva?" Severus asked silkily.

"Because there's no answer Albus can give you except to be patient, control your temper, and enforce boundaries. All of which we've told you before. So either you're here because you think that Harry needs boundaries, which is your responsibility, or you're here because one or both of you lost your temper, and you know the answer to that. So, which was it?" Minerva said, sitting in the spare seat in front of Dumbledore's desk.

Severus looked at her quietly, wondering if she was done scolding. "We had a fight. Which Harry started," Severus finished.

"And how did you react to your twelve year old son deciding to be insufferable?" Minerva asked knowingly.

"It didn't go well," Severus allowed, ignoring her amused snort. "He yelled, I yelled, and then I sent him to his room."

"That is usually how fights between children and their parents go, I believe," Albus commented.

"It is. And I can see what you're thinking, Severus," Minerva said, giving him a hard look. "You of all people know that sometimes, when angry, people say things they don't mean. So anything you and Harry said, once you both started yelling, doesn't mean anything. It's just a product of hidden insecurity. So the best thing, for now, is to focus on what was said before you both got frustrated. For instance, what would have been bothering Harry so much that he brought it up in a confrontational way."

"He thinks I'm out of sorts," Severus told her. When she snorted, he glared at her.

"Harry is an intelligent child," She told him with a sly smile.

"That's very helpful, Minerva," Severus shot back.

"You should tell him. You told Lupin about it. And you need to tell Narcissa anyway," Minerva suggested.

"How do you know I told Lupin?" Severus asked, quickly plotting how to silence the aggravating werewolf once and for all.

"He mentioned it. Said it might affect your teaching. And I agree, Severus. Since you removed the Dark Mark, your magic has been all over the place. Adjusting to the loss of the Dark magic, perhaps, but still, it's enough to make anyone cranky," Minerva said, smiling sweetly when Severus glared at her.

"Minerva is right, Severus. While you're obviously not having trouble with the smaller spells, you said yourself that you wouldn't feel confident doing anything more complicated right now, and that has to be weighing on you. Harry knew you were going to remove the Dark Mark. It would make sense to him, perhaps more sense than your temper is currently making?" Dumbledore suggested gently.

"It shouldn't be a side effect. Narcissa is already looking for a solution. She is loathe to try the potion herself, given the situation between her and Lucius, but she maintains that it must be something else. In the meantime, worrying my very prone to dramatics son about something he can not change is not going to help anyone," Severus said derisively. He ignored the stern look Minerva gave him in favour for pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing. "I'll tell him. Tomorrow."

"And how do you propose to make it to tomorrow without offering some explanation for your behaviour? It is going to be very tense in your quarters if you don't make peace with Harry," Minerva offered, smirking when Severus scowled at her.

"I certainly did not intend on leaving him sequestered in his room for the rest of the night, Minerva," Severus drawled.

"No, Severus? That certainly seems exactly like something you would do," Minerva replied cattily, rising to the bait.

"Enough, please," Albus said, quietly. Severus looked up at him sharply and then glanced away when Albus fixed his gaze on him.

"Forgive me, Headmaster," Severus said. When Albus looked pointedly in Minerva's direction, Severus grudgingly said, "I apologise, Minerva. You were right to assume that what Harry said upset me."

"Yes, well, since I have an entire school's worth of interviews to conduct, I am not in the best frame of mind either," Minerva allowed.

Severus frowned at her, waiting for an explanation. "Your discovery of Harry's abuse last year, in the person we would have hoped had the best treatment, sparked much discussion between Pomona, Filius and I. While we don't do such thorough investigations into our students, perhaps it's time we started. Therefore, each and every student will be checked by Madame Pomfrey, and a team of Healers from St Mungo's, at this rate. Not to mention interviews with all of the students who have suspicious results, which could be I don't know how many."

"Approximately one in four, though I personally believe the majority have gone to Slytherin, Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. The frequency in Slytherin is about one in three, though that includes anything from emotional neglect to out and out abuse. And you can't just have interviews with the ones with suspicious physical results. The wounds could be mental or emotional, and even then, the gossip will show that only certain people are having interviews. The abused children will wonder why they've been singled out, realise, and then spend the greater part of the year avoiding you. You have to do interviews with every student. And since you admit you don't have a lot of experience dealing with it, I would ask St Mungo's to give you Mind Healers to conduct the interviews. At least three of the ones currently working at St Mungo's have been my students," Severus explained, trying not to lecture his colleague.

"How long did it take you to figure all this out?" Minerva asked, looking a little over-whelmed.

"About five years, give or take. It helped that I had been one of those students and could think from their perspective," Severus admitted with a small smile. He sobered quickly, realising that in treating Harry like family, he'd stopped treating him like a student with special needs. "Damn," he swore softly.

"You look like you've had a revelation, Severus," Albus prompted.

"I have. You'll have to excuse me, Minerva, Albus, I need to go talk to Harry," Severus said, rising and nodding to both of his colleagues in dismissal.

"Have fun with that." Severus heard Minerva mutter as he walked out of Albus' office. He scowled back at the door as it snapped shut behind him. Shaking his head, he turned and made his way down towards the dungeons, wondering how exactly to explain this to Harry. No students bothered him as he made his way down to his quarters, though quite a few were moving around, taking advantage of a free period with nothing to do. He noticed a few Slytherin students look over at him guiltily, but he refrained from commenting. The Entrance Hall was quiet, most of the students avoiding the Great Hall and the teachers who supervised there. The short walk from there to Severus' quarters was deserted, which was almost disappointing. He entered his quarters to silence and a reproachful glare from Aiko.

"Don't you start," Severus growled at her. She 'meowed' imperiously, and then turned and walked back into Severus' bedroom. Severus shook his head at her and went over to Harry's bedroom door. He listened for a moment, wondering what Harry was doing. Severus shut his eyes and sighed when he heard the telltale sounds of sobbing through the door. So much for a good first day. He knocked quietly, not surprised to hear a muffled "Go away" in reply.

He opened the door slightly, in time to see Harry turn his face away from the door. "I don't want to talk," Harry said, still slightly muffled.

"To be honest, I'm not really in a talking mood either," Severus admitted gently. "But that doesn't mean that we don't need to talk."

"No," Harry said, turning his face down to the pillow. Severus sighed and went to sit at the side of Harry's bed. He ignored Harry's slight shuffle away from him, deciding to pull Harry's glasses from being crushed under his shoulder instead. He folded them and put them on Harry's nightstand, using his wand to freshen the water in Harry's glass as well. "Stop being nice to me," Harry muttered.

"Why shouldn't I be nice to you?" Severus asked quietly. Harry shook his head against his pillow instead of answering and Severus frowned. "Harry?" Harry still didn't answer so Severus continued neatening Harry's room with his wand. The House Elves had done a general clean right before Harry had returned to Hogwarts but there was still small things out of place, especially where Harry had started to take things out. Harry's book magically straightened themselves on his shelves, his bag floated in from the lounge room and unpacked itself, and Harry's clothes, which hung rather haphazardly, dropped to hang smoothly from their hangers. Once Severus had straightened everything that could be straightened, he sat calmly, mentally going through his to-do list for the next day.

"I am a bother. And a brat," Harry said over Severus' noise of protest.

"No you are not," Severus said sternly. "You are not a bother and you are not a brat." Severus put his hand on Harry's back and started rubbing soothing circles. "You might have been a little out of line, but you were right to comment. I told you that I wasn't mad at you, and I should have been honest. I am upset about these occurrences, and the fact that they keep happening. And I am concerned by the amount of time I spend telling you to be careful, for Merlin's sake. But it isn't fair of me to say that something is done and then bring it up as an excuse for being unpleasant. And for that, and my recent bouts of bad temper, I apologise. If you want to talk, I'll be in the lounge room. If you don't come out before lunch, I'll send Narcissa in to get you when she gets here." Severus stood up carefully, steeling himself to walk out of the room and allow Harry control over this. Harry didn't reply, so Severus pulled the door shut behind him and walked into lounge room, summoning his lesson plans from his study as he walked. Once the notebook smacked into his palm, he took the book to the dining table and sat with it, adjusting his plans for the Hufflepuff first years that he had taught that morning. One theoretical lesson had already given him doubts about their abilities.

**Harry POV**

"You know, fighting with Severus wasn't exactly what I thought you had planned when we were talking in the infirmary," Aunt Cissy said as she walked into Harry's room. Harry looked at her guiltily from where he was still lying facedown on the covers of his bed, wondering what Severus had told her.

"Is he really mad at me?" Harry asked her.

"No, actually, he seems to think that you might still be angry at him. Which is why he sent me in here instead of coming in himself," Aunt Cissy explained. She crooked a finger in a 'come here' motion at Harry and he dragged himself off the bed to stand in front of his Aunt. Instead of looking her in the eye, he studied the fine embroidery on the light cardigan she wore. "What happened to talking to him about Lockhart?" She asked, lifting Harry's chin with an elegant finger.

"Didn't get the chance," Harry said, shrugging. "He was just so mad."

"Yes, well, the side effects from that Potion were a little unexpected but you have to make some allowances," Aunt Cissy said.

"What side effects?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Oh, he hasn't told you about those?" Aunt Cissy asked with a tight smile.

"No," Harry said indignantly.

"Well then, now you have a reason to stop being stubborn and talk to him," She replied, smirking at Harry. He glared at her half-heartedly and she laughed. "Lunch time, Harry. You are still too skinny."

"Everyone keeps saying that," Harry complained. "I eat everything that Severus expects me too."

"Well, maybe he should be raising his expectations," Aunt Cissy said, leading the way across the hallway and into the lounge room. Draco was already seated at the dining table, talking to Severus quietly. Severus looked over curiously and Harry knew that he'd overheard but he didn't explain and Severus didn't answer. "Now that we're all here, how about we see about lunch?" Aunt Cissy asked with a pointed look at Severus. Severus smirked and tapped his wand on the table, making plates laden with food appear.

"I think you'll find that the House Elves have already taken care of that," Severus said, standing up to pull Aunt Cissy's chair out. Harry sat down next to her, pointedly ignoring Draco's concerned look between him and Severus. "Wine, Narcissa?"

"No, thank you, Severus. I thought you didn't buy wine?" She asked him, poking Harry in the ribs when he didn't move to take the potato dish she was offering him. Harry took it quickly, feeling clumsy as he used the spoon to serve himself.

He passed it on to Severus as Severus answered, "I received a bottle as a gift from a new first-year's parent. Apparently he thought that it would be worth something to me." Aunt Cissy laughed, making Harry realise that the parent had meant to get his child into Severus' good books by buying him wine.

"If only you made it public that you were practically a teetotaller. You would spend so much less time trying to get rid of bottles of alcohol," Aunt Cissy remarked.

"You would think, considering that I live and work at a boarding school, it would be apparent to anyone who put at least a little bit of thought into their method of bribery," Severus answered her, looking pointedly at Harry's plate as he passed on a creamy pasta dish without serving himself any.

Harry frowned at Severus and shook his head minutely, as Draco picked up the conversation to ask his mother about where she'd been during their Defense class. Severus' brows drew together in a stern look but Harry turned away, taking a sip of his water instead of answering. "You know, Potter, if you want to beat me in try-outs, you're actually going to have to heavy enough on your broom that you don't get blown off course by a strong wind," Draco drawled, drawing Harry's attention. He scowled at Draco as the older boy smirked.

"I've never had a problem outflying you before, Draco," Harry replied with a sarcastic smirk, glad for the distraction.

"Yes, well, school brooms don't even move in the direction they're supposed to, let alone being balanced enough for the wind to put them off. Now you might actually have something to worry about," Draco shot back. Harry glared at him just long enough to see Aunt Cissy open her mouth to stop them fighting and then his giggles took over. Draco smiled widely, sipping at his drink in an obvious attempt to stop himself from laughing.

"Why do you two spend so much time pretending to fight?" Severus asked, sounding tired.

"Because we wouldn't want to make Theodore jealous," Draco answered before Harry could. "After all, he apparently has to compete with Weasley too now."

"Compete for what?" Harry asked, throwing Draco a confused look. When both Draco and Aunt Cissy laughed, Harry crossed his arms and scowled at them.

"For you, silly boy. You do seem to be quite popular among your friends," Aunt Cissy said, having mercy on him. Harry looked at her doubtfully and then blushed when she nodded.

"Well, I don't get it. It's not like I'm going to stop being friends with Teddy just because I'm friends with Draco and Ron too," Harry said defensively.

"Yes, and that makes you very unique, Harry," Aunt Cissy replied.

"Well, it shouldn't," Harry said. "Just like how Teddy didn't stop being friends with me when I was being an idiot last year. You don't stop liking someone just because things change a little," Harry said. He noticed Severus giving him a searching look out of the corner of his eye and finished "Even if they scared you, a little," in a mutter he knew only Severus would hear. Severus' expression took on a concerned tone and Harry stopped him from commenting by turning to Aunt Cissy and thanking her properly for the broom. It wasn't that Harry didn't want to talk about it and clear the air. It was just that he didn't know what to say.

**Oh, by the way, I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and New Years, if you celebrate that. Otherwise, I hope your holidays (or just time off) went amazingly. I had an awesome 21st birthday weekend (very jam-packed, was sooo tired) and Christmas. I got a very HP themed combined gift from my parents, actually - the Harry Potter Wizard's Collection, which I spent a long time squealing like a little girl over. Haven't had a chance to watch all the special features yet, but may end up chucking in some of those tidbits as canon when I do :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, so short chapter, but still - next chapter already! Actually, in the last 24 hrs, I've posted four (count 'em) chapters, here and in the Outtakes from Letters (on my page) story. In the Outtakes, you now have Hermione and Teddy's view of the Welcome Feast in Second Year and Harry's Birthday Presents. Enjoy!**

**As always - heed the warnings that are now in Chapter Nine and the story summary and I make no profit. Oh and reviews are always appreciated! :)  
><strong>

"Dad, can't you take the detention?" Harry asked, after Potions class on Friday morning. The look Severus gave him was highly annoyed, but Harry was more concerned about having detention with Lockhart and having to spend two hours alone with him.

"No, as I have just told you, there is a meeting for the Heads of Houses tonight. That means that neither Professor McGonagall or I will be available to take your detention. Since it is meant to be a punishment, it almost makes more sense to let a teacher you don't like supervise you," Severus finished in a scathing tone, packing the students finished potions into his grading box.

"I didn't mean it like that," Harry tried to say, but he knew that Severus wasn't going to hear him. They still hadn't cleared the air since their fight on Wednesday and Harry kicked himself for not doing it sooner. "Really, Dad, I don't. Lockhart's creepy, all the second years think so."

Severus glanced up from what he was doing to raise his eyebrow at Harry. "I have it on good authority that the majority of Gryffindor House believe me to be a, what do they say, yes, 'dungeon bat'?" Here he threw a questioning glance at Harry but continued without waiting for confirmation. "I highly doubt that the general opinion of the Hogwarts student body is the best way for you to be judging your teachers, Harry."

"I'm not judging based on the general, on that!" Harry said, frustrated. "He gives me the creeps, Dad, he's always staring at me and he keeps touching me." Severus eyes darted upwards at this and Harry hoped he'd finally got his Dad to take him seriously.

"Inappropriately?" Severus asked in a quiet voice that Harry knew meant bad things for whoever Severus was angry at. Severus' eyes were now locked on Harry's and behind the rising anger and frustration, Harry could see concern.

"No, nothing like that," Harry jumped to reassure him. "Just always putting his hand on my shoulder and getting in my personal space."

Severus frowned and looked away, though Harry saw just a little bit of his tension trickle away. "Harry, Professor Lockhart has already proven to be a very tactile person; you are not the only person whose personal space he seems to invade. Given your normal aversion to touch, and the circumstances of your introduction to Professor Lockhart, do you not think that you are perhaps over-reacting?" Harry felt his features go slightly slack in shock, and then tight with betrayal.

"No. I don't. But since you obviously think I am, then this conversation is obviously over," Harry said angrily, turning and grabbing his bag. He grabbed it in one swift move and limped as quickly as he could out of the classroom, ignoring the pain in his knee. Since he hadn't had to take any stairs to get from Slytherin to his class, he wasn't wearing his brace, which meant he was already at the classroom door when Severus called his name. He made a point of slamming the Potions room door, just a little, though he didn't go much further. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, and dispel that horrible choking feeling, he heard something smash in the classroom and looked back at the door. His Dad had always believed him. Always. And Harry was sure he wasn't over-reacting, given how Draco and Teddy always seemed to make sure to stand between Lockhart and him. He wasn't the only one who'd noticed it.

"Hey, Harry, what did your Dad need to tell you?" Teddy said, coming over from where Draco, Hermione and Neville were standing. Harry looked up at them blankly and then shook his head.

"My detention tonight's with Lockhart," Harry spat, frustrated and hurt. "Dad and McGonagall have a staff meeting," he offered in explanation as Teddy and Draco groaned.

"Oh Harry, surely it won't be that bad. At least he won't have you pickling rat's brains," Hermione said supportively, referencing the detention Severus had given him last night.

"I'd rather do that for every night for the rest of the year, then spend two hours alone with Lockhart," Harry said, pushing past his friends and heading in the direction of Slytherin common room. Teddy whistled appreciatively but Hermione just scowled at him. He rounded on her, ready to yell at her, but Severus chose that moment to open his classroom door. Harry flushed at being caught so close after storming out and Severus glared at them all.

"If you lot don't have enough homework to do in your free period, I will happily assign you something to do with your time," Severus bit out, ignoring Harry's sound of outrage.

"We do, sir, I mean, have enough to do," Teddy said, smiling frostily and dragging on Harry's arm to make him step back and away. "See you in my meeting tonight, sir," Teddy said, waving with his other hand. Hermione had huffed and put her nose in the air, stalking away in front of the whole group. When they'd turned the corner and were out of sight of the Potions classroom, Teddy turned to Harry. "What in the name of Merlin is wrong with you?" He hissed, looking like he was trying very had not to yell at Harry.

"Nothing, nothing is wrong with me, alright," Harry said, shaking off Teddy's hand. "I'm just tired. I'm gonna go take a nap." He walked away from Teddy, leaving the other boy looking after him with a confused expression on his face. Once he made it to his dorm, he kicked off his shoes and fell face down on the bed, resisting the urge to scream in frustration. He hated feeling like this!

* * *

><p>Harry still felt angry when he went to dinner that night. Hermione and Teddy had obviously had a fight because Harry could her sending angry looks at both them from the Gryffindor table. The Weasleys were looking over curiously, but any attempt to draw Hermione into conversation seemed to fail. The attempts ended when she pulled out a book and propped it up in front of her plate. Harry picked listlessly at his food, giving up with a groan. Marcus glared at his plate but Harry just matched his glare.<p>

"Harry, you'll be serving your detention with me, I'm sure Professor Snape told you that, and I'm sure we're going to have a great time. Just come to my office after you've finished your dinner and we'll get started," Lockhart said, making Harry jump as he put his hand on Harry's shoulder and leant down to talk to him. Harry shrugged him off, turning to face him with an upset expression. Harry stilled as he saw anger flash through Lockhart's expression.

"I'm done," Harry said, using his hands to lever his leg up and over the bench. Lockhart stood back to give him room and Harry stood up fully. Once he was fully upright, Lockhart gestured for Harry to walk in front of him. Harry led the way out of the Great Hall, glancing back when he passed Teddy. Teddy was staring at Lockhart with a confused and worried expression that had become his usual expression whenever he was near the new Defense Professor. Harry walked across the Entrance Hall, only pausing as he had to start walking up the stairs. He almost shrugged off the helping hand that Lockhart put around him, making his skin crawl, but he was too proud to try the stairs without it. Once they'd made it all the way up the stairs, Lockhart moved his hand so that it was resting behind Harry's neck, and Harry tried to understand why something that Severus had done numerous times felt so wrong.

"In here, Harry," Lockhart said, opening the door to the classroom. He continued through the classroom, not stopping to point Harry to a seat as Harry expected. "I thought we'd be more comfortable in my office," Lockhart said, opening the door that led from his classroom to his office. Harry paused, looking between the door and the desk he had sat at during class. "Harry?" Lockhart said, in a tone that Harry didn't recognise. Harry shook himself and followed Lockhart through and into his office. Lockhart smiled at him and pointed to the table and seat that was pushed up against his desk. "I thought tonight that you could help me answer some fanmail. I'll hand you the envelopes so that you can address the return envelopes and then put my replies in them."

Harry frowned at the simple task but sat down and pulled the quill and ink pot that Lockhart had provided closer to himself. Lockhart sat down with a flamboyant flourish of his robes and opened the first envelope. Lockhart handed over the empty envelope and Harry started addressing the first of the stack of envelopes that was sitting on his desk as well. Trying not to look at the pictures of Lockhart that were smiling and waving at him, he waited for Lockhart to give him the next envelope and something to put in the current one. Once Lockhart started signing pictures, the night fell into a rhythm that hypnotised Harry in its simplicity.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Harry, look at the time! I didn't realise it was quite so late," Lockhart explained, breaking Harry out of his bored concentration. Harry looked up, wincing as he dropped the quill and realised how tightly he'd been holding his quill. He was surprised to see that it was after 9 o'clock and they'd been at it for hours. He flinched as he shifted his leg, sucking in a pained breath. "What's wrong, Harry?"<p>

"My leg," Harry said. He swung it round and started massaging at his leg under the brace, annoyed by the obstruction.

"Here, let me help you with that," Lockhart said. Harry barely had time to look up in confusion before Lockhart had bent down and put his hand at the top of the leg brace, almost halfway up Harry's thigh. He flinched backwards in his chair and Lockhart's hand gripped.

"No, thank you, sir," Harry said, trying to stand up. Lockhart's pressure on his leg didn't let up, meaning he could only get halfway up and had to sit down again because he couldn't balance. Harry was starting to panic slightly, and thought desperately of his wand, sitting in the bag he'd dumped on the other side of the desk. He was never going to forget his wand holster ever again.

"Shh, Harry, it's alright. Just sit down and I'll give you a nice massage to make up for me making you sit there so long," Lockhart said, using a tone that Harry was sure was meant to soothe him. Harry shook his head but Lockhart moved to undo the velcro on the brace.

"Sir, please, I'm fine, just let me go," Harry said, trying to push at Lockhart's hands. Harry heard Lockhart whisper something under his breath and moaned in distress as he realised that he could put any strength in what he was doing. "No, please, what are you doing, stop?"

* * *

><p>Harry snorted as he jerked upright, wincing as he realised that he'd fallen asleep while addressing envelopes. "Oh, Harry, I'm sorry. It's far too late. I must have lost track of time, we were having so much fun." Harry looked at his watch, amazed that it was after 10 o'clock.<p>

"It's after curfew," Harry muttered in shock.

"Oh that's quite alright, my boy, I'll write you a pass," Lockhart said while doing just that. "Take this with you and you'll be fine." Harry stood up and took the note, wondering what he wasn't stiff after sitting still for so long. A quick check of his brace said that it was still perfectly in place, so he shrugged and grabbed his bag, hauling it up to his shoulder.

"Don't forget to read chapters 3 & 4 of Break with a Banshee for homework, Harry," Lockhart said as he walked out of the office door. Harry stopped in the classroom to tug at his jeans, which were caught awkwardly under his brace, and then kept walking. Just because he had a pass, didn't mean he wanted to get caught out of bed by Severus right now. He was turning towards the stairs after exiting the classroom, squinting his eyes in the near dark of the corridor, when he heard it.

"Kill, rip, maim," A voice breathed. Harry twisted his head towards the other end of the corridor and back, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. When the sound repeated itself, he turned away from the stairs, limping after it as it travelled down the corridor.

"Who's there?" Harry called, hoping that it was simply the Weasley twins playing a joke. Instead of a proper answer, he heard the whispered voice again so he dropped his bag and started trotting after it, limping painfully. He tripped going round the corner, falling heavily on his side. He scrambled upright, heart beating fast, to see a wall of black in front of him. He wrinkled his nose in confusion for a moment before he realised that it was robes. Black teaching robes. Severus' robes. He closed his eyes in a grimace and then looked upward.

"What on Earth are you doing running through the halls at almost 10:30 at night, Mr Potter?" Severus asked, reaching down to help lift Harry. Harry flinched, and then stared at Severus' offered hand in surprise. When he glanced up to Severus' face, his eyebrows were raised and his eyes were guarded. Harry took the offered hand, leaning on it as he got up, wincing as he put weight on his leg.

"I heard something," Harry said, looking around. "You didn't see anyone, did you?" He asked.

"Except for my son falling at my feet, half an hour after curfew no less? No, I did not," Severus answered. Harry shivered as the wind whistled through the hallway and turned his head towards the noise. "What did it sound like?"

"Something was saying 'kill, rip, maim' over and over again in, like, a whisper. Except it was really loud. Like nothing I've ever heard before," Harry said, rubbing at his forehead.

Severus regarded him for a moment before saying, "Are you sure it wasn't the wind? At night, in an unfamiliar part of the castle, your brain can play tricks on you." Harry fixed him with a glare and shook his head.

"No, I'm not imagining it," Harry said, resisting the urge to mutter that he wasn't imagining the stuff with Lockhart either.

"Very well. I will inform the Headmaster, though it quite possibly was just Peeves playing a nasty joke. Why are you up here so late, Harry? Your detention should have finished hours ago," Severus asked. Harry looked up at him, wondering what he meant.

"You always keep me until almost curfew. Lockhart said he lost track of time. And I fell asleep, anyway," Harry admitted.

"I keep you until almost curfew because I know that your Head of House will not be looking for you. And my detentions start at 8 o'clock, not 6:30," Severus said, anger coming into his tone. "You were in detention for almost four hours."

Harry frowned, feeling uneasy. "Yeah, I guess that is a long time. I really don't remember much of it, I got so into the rhythm."

Severus looked up at him, searching his eyes. "What were you doing?"

"Addressing envelopes. It was boring, I got bored," Harry said defensively.

"You are supposed to be bored in detentions. You are not supposed to lose track of time. In fact, I find it rather hard to believe that you wouldn't have been watching the clock, at least for the first hour or so," Severus drawled, obviously recalling having to tell Harry to stop looking at his watch the night before.

Harry blushed slightly and shrugged. "I don't know, Dad. I just didn't pay attention." Harry was going to ask how the staff meeting went but he was distracted by a yawn. He put his hand over his mouth and smiled slightly when he realised Severus was smirking.

"You need to go to bed and get some sleep, Harry. Knowing Lockhart, I wouldn't doubt it if he'd just let you sleep through the entire thing," Severus drawled.

"Yeah, but then I wouldn't be so tired," Harry pointed out defensively. Severus raised an eyebrow and while he didn't say it, Harry knew that Severus thought he had a point.

"Where's your school bag? You had it with you when you left for detention," Severus asked, starting the walk back towards the main staircase.

"I dropped it so I could move faster," Harry said. He spotted it as they rounded the corner and groaned when he saw that the rough motion had spilled his books and wand out. Severus frowned at this and gestured with his wand. Harry watched as Harry's wand jumped from the ground and into the palm of Severus hand, not really understanding his suddenly intense desire to learn that spell.

He was distracted from that thought when Severus turned to him, holding Harry's wand casually in front of him. When Harry grabbed it, he used it to pull Harry forward. "If I ever hear that you went after something that you even _thought_ was dangerous without your wand again, Harry James Potter-Snape, I will personally see to it that it is so ingrained in you to have your wand, you won't go to the opposite side of the room without it," Severus spat, looking angrier than he had standing outside Hogwarts three days ago. Harry took a sharp breath in as the hand that Severus had placed on his bicep squeezed slightly and nodded quickly.

"I'm sorry, I forgot the holster Draco bought me. I'm not used to leaving it in my bag anymore, I thought I had it," Harry explained quickly, able to understand the reason for this outburst at least. Severus glared at him for a moment longer before letting him go, turning away with an angry sound. A flick of Severus' wand had Harry's books jumping back into his bag and another rather vicious jab had it floating alongside Severus as he stalked away. Harry stood where he was for a moment, breathing hard to calm his racing heart. He didn't know why he was so jumpy all of a sudden. It wasn't like he thought that Severus would hurt him. He knew that he wouldn't, he was just mad that Harry had almost put himself in danger, again.

Severus had almost reached the stairs when he seemed to realise that Harry wasn't following. "Harry," he started, then Harry heard him sigh.

Harry looked up and studied his Dad's posture. "You scared me," Harry admitted. When Severus looked back, he clarified. "Not just then, but on Wednesday. And even when you're not angry about stuff, you seem angry." Harry ignored the fact that he was whining.

"If you want to sleep in our quarters tonight, I'll explain, as best I can," Severus said, holding out his hand for Harry to come closer. Harry walked up to Severus but stopped right before Severus would have been able to reach. "Are you alright, Harry? You seem, off, tonight. Did Lockhart do something to upset you?" Severus asked, ending more urgently. Harry stepped back as he stepped forward, making Severus frown. "Harry," he said beseechingly, "What's wrong?"

Harry frowned and shook his head. "I don't know. Just jumpy I guess."

Severus, moving slowly, giving Harry time to stop him, wrapped him in a hug. "There's nothing here that can hurt you, Harry. I wouldn't let it happen." Harry breathed in deeply, relishing the comfort that being near his Dad offered. "I've been bad-tempered lately, and I'm sorry." Severus stepped back so that he could see Harry's eyes and continued, "When I used Narcissa's potion to remove the Dark Mark, something, in my magic, changed. It has been, agitating, to say the least, and I'm finding it a little difficult to control my temper. While Narcissa believes that it is just a simple side effect, I have begun to believe differently. I am searching for a cure, but it may be awhile. That does not mean that you cannot tell me when I am being irritable, but I thought it best that you understand." Severus looked away after he had finished talking, looking slightly ashamed.

"You're always irritable," Harry muttered, making Severus look back at him. Harry smiled tentatively at him and was happy to see a smirk in return.

"Cheeky brat," Severus said, making Harry giggle. "You need to get some sleep, Harry. We can talk some more in the morning, if you wish," Severus said, guiding Harry with a hand still on his shoulder. Harry stopped again at the top of the stairs, glaring down at the stairs in an expression that Severus seemed to recognise. He looked at Severus as Severus offered him a helping hand and gave him a pleading look. "Would you like me to help?" Harry nodded, blushing slightly. Severus picked Harry up easily, settling Harry easily on his hip. Harry almost protested at being carried like a child but it felt so nice to feel safe and cared for, compared to the turmoil of the last few days. Instead, he settled his head on Severus' shoulder, yawning once again.

"Dad?" Harry asked, as they reached the bottom of the first staircase.

"Yes, Harry?" Severus asked without pausing in his steps.

"Are we okay?" Harry asked softly.

"Do you think we're okay?" Severus asked as they crossed the quiet Entrance Hall.

"I want us to be okay," Harry answered, unsure of Severus response.

"Then we're okay." Harry noticed Severus looking at him out of the corner of his eye but ignored it, knowing that Severus was worried about something and that he'd bring it up in time.

"Good." Harry paused. "Please don't make me do detention with Lockhart again."

"I can't promise that, Harry. If he assigns it, then it is his to host. But I am free for the rest of the week, so you will be fine for now," Severus said. Harry hummed happily and let his eyelids drift shut, happy for now.

10


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